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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25515382">Skating Lessons</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/koyukix/pseuds/koyukix'>koyukix</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Frozen (Disney Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anna &amp; Kristoff Friendship (Disney), Anna and Elsa are Not Related (Disney), Eventual Anna/Elsa (Disney), F/F, Fluff, Humor, Ice Skating, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:20:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>44,462</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25515382</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/koyukix/pseuds/koyukix</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>mAU. Anna has never skated before. Elsa is a competitive figure skater. The two meet after a fateful collision on the ice.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anna/Elsa (Disney)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>83</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>144</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You just want to see me fall flat on my face," Anna quipped as she bent over to tie her skates.</p><p>Somehow, Kristoff had managed to persuade her to go to the ice rink. Her best friend had always had this odd fascination for ice; she never understood why but it wasn't something that she was going to question.</p><p>She's never even been to an ice rink before. Heck, she has trouble walking on the ground sometimes without tripping over her own feet. How on earth is she going to manage this?</p><p>"Oh, lighten up. You and I both know that you could use a breather." Kristoff reached over and placed his arm over her shoulders. "And besides, ice is amazing."</p><p>"Yeah, yeah…" Anna nodded as she leaned back, indicating that she was done tying her laces. "Are these things supposed to be so tight? It's like I can't even feel my feet!" She lifted her leg and wiggled her skates, as if to prove a point.</p><p>Pushing himself off the bench, Kristoff offered Anna his hand. "Nope, they're supposed to be that snug, actually. It prevents your feet from getting hurt."</p><p>She took his hand and steadied herself, putting the weight of her body on the thin blades beneath her. "I'm not sure this is such a good idea...why couldn't we have just gone for ice cream instead?"</p><p>Kristoff ignored her comment and began to walk toward the entrance of the rink. But then, he suddenly stopped and turned his head back. "Wait a sec, where's your helmet? Safety first, kiddo."</p><p>"Uhhh, I don't have one. Oh wait, I think I can rent one over there. Be back in a jiffy!" Anna made her way toward a bin of helmets next to the skate rentals. The blades on her feet felt alien to her; it made her steps wobbly and uneven. But she did it. She managed to walk across the room to get a helmet. Now if only she could do the same on the ice.</p><p>She returned to Kristoff's side minutes later with a hockey helmet over her head. It wasn't exactly comfortable but she didn't plan on skating for long anyway—just enough to say that she did. She looked over to her friend who motioned for her to enter the rink.</p><p>"Ladies first."</p><p>Holding onto the edge of the wall, she slowly wobbled out onto the ice. Proud that she made it out without dying, she lifted her head to survey the rink, its minty scent tickling her nose. The space was massive—much larger than what she'd expected and it was pretty much completely full; kids and teenagers moved chaotically across the ice as they talked and laughed, some louder than others. She was still reeling in from all the sounds and smells, when suddenly something caught her eye.</p><p>Something, no, some<em>one</em> was jumping and twirling in the air. She looked again, blocking out everything else that was happening around her. Eyes glued to the presumable figure skater, she could only watch with awe as the girl began to spin on one leg. How can someone do that without tripping and dying? She had no idea.</p><p>"So, are you going to hang onto the wall all day or what? Come on, we're here to skate!" Kristoff said, patting her head, or rather, the top of her helmet.</p><p>Wanting to prove to him that she <em>can</em> indeed skate, she began to peel herself off the wall. The second she did, though, she lost her balance; it was as if someone took the ground away from her. Fortunately, that sinking feeling in her stomach only lasted a second. Kristoff had caught her just as she was about to meet the ice. Flashing him a goofy grin, she thanked him as she stepped out of his hold.</p><p>"Just take it one step at a time. You got this." He watched as Anna cautiously moved one foot in front of the other. She couldn't afford to fall on her face, not after what just transpired minutes ago. Slow and steady. Slow and steady.</p><p>"That's it! I knew you could do it kiddo. Well, just keep doing that for now. I'll be back in a bit—just gonna do one lap. You know, for warm up." And with that, Kristoff sped off. By the time she'd blinked, he had disappeared into the evermoving crowd.</p><p><em>Hmph</em>, <em>show off.</em> Kristoff had always been the athletic type. Pretty sure he grew up playing hockey or something. Wanting to move away from the spot where she'd been standing for the past few minutes, she began to shuffle her feet—this time more quickly. She could hear the boisterous sounds of the rink around her but she paid it no mind; she was too focused trying to move across the ice. If only she had taken skating lessons as a kid then she'd be able to lap everyone...</p><p>But her skating efforts didn't go unrewarded. By the time she'd remembered to look up from her skates, she'd found herself at the center of the rink, just steps away from the hockey circle. Amazed by her feat, she spent the next few seconds applauding herself in her mind. <em>Wow, that wasn't so bad. Guess I was born a skater.</em></p><p>A second later and she knew she had jinxed herself. Even with her dulled senses, something that she attributed to the cold air, she could tell that two rowdy teens were headed her way. Faces turned toward each other, they sped down the ice with no indication of stopping. As seconds turned to milliseconds, Anna could only pray as one of the teens came closer and closer to her position on the ice. Obviously, she wouldn't be able to get out of the way on time. The two eventually made eye contact but it was too late. Desperate to save herself, she put her arms out just as she was knocked off her feet.</p><p>
  <em>Thanks for leaving me to fend for myself, Kristoff.</em>
</p><p>That was the last thought that crossed her mind before her body met the ice. At least that's what she thought was going to happen. She felt herself get thrust to the side but instead of crashing onto the ice, like she thought she would, she fell into something soft. She could feel fabric against her skin and eyes on her face.</p><p>Lifting her head, she found herself face to face with a goddess. Or maybe it was just the lighting. Anyway, she was now in the arms of a complete stranger. A very good looking stranger who was clad in black, which she could only assume was her skating gear.</p><p>Anna couldn't help but notice the skater's milky white complexion; it was as if she never once stood out in the sun. Long, platinum blonde hair done up in a braid, she had a look that Anna could only describe as <em>regal</em>. And maybe it was just her imagination but she could swear that there was a waft of coffee in the air.</p><p>"Are you okay?" came a voice from the girl.</p><p>Anna shook out of her reverie and it didn't take long for her to realize that she'd been gawking at her savior. But she couldn't help it. She was so pretty with her azure eyes; they were so radiant, so blue, they reminded Anna of the ocean. Wait a second, didn't she see someone like that earlier? Replaying the events in her head, she soon recognized the girl as the one who was jumping and spinning at the center of the rink.</p><p>"W-wow. You're very pretty. I-I mean, thanks. Thanks for saving me. I'm feeling great, better than I've ever been, actually!" She knew her words were a mess but it was all that could mutter, being held by a goddess and all. Her brain had effectively shut down.</p><p>The platinum blonde smiled as she helped Anna regain her center of gravity. "I'm glad. I saw them headed your way and figured I had to do something."</p><p>She felt the heat rise to her cheeks. <em>She saw the whole thing. How embarrassing.</em> <em>If only there was a hole that I could crawl into…</em></p><p>But that thought was quickly interrupted. "Are you here by yourself? I recommend using a skating aid if you're still getting used to the ice. It will give you more balance and control." The figure skater pointed toward the other end of rink.</p><p>Anna's eyes followed her finger to a pile of walker-like objects at the corner. "Umm, actually, I came here with a friend..." she started, looking back and forth to see if she could find him. <em>Nope</em>. "But I have no idea where he went...so I'm kind of by myself right now. But yeah, no, I'll definitely go get one of those aid things. Oh! Umm, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Anna. Thanks again, you know, for umm, saving me."</p><p>"I'm Elsa. It's nice to meet you." The platinum blonde reached out her hand and for a second, Anna wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to do. Luckily, it didn't take long for her brain to reboot itself. <em>Oh, handshake. Right.</em></p><p>"Same here. Actually, I was watching you earlier. Oh, not like in a creepy way or anything. It's just that I've never seen someone jump and spin on the ice before. At least not in person. I've seen it on TV but that's kind of different. Anyway, what I mean to say is that you're a very good skater." Anna knew she was rambling.</p><p>Elsa brought her hand toward her mouth and gave a small laugh. "Thanks. I don't usually attend public skating sessions but I've been off the ice for a while and wanted to get back as soon as possible."</p><p>"Oh, I see." She wanted to ask more, ask about why she'd been off the ice but it seemed a little intrusive given that they'd only just met, like five minutes ago.</p><p>"Anyway, I should go now. I wouldn't want to bother you while you're on a date. Have fun." With one last smile, the figure skater made her way back toward the hockey circle. Unlike Anna, her strokes across the ice were smooth and practiced.</p><p>
  <em>But I'm not on a date…</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Just so you know, you owe me a chocolate cone," Anna said as she rolled her eyes at her friend. Kristoff had finally decided to reappear after what felt like forever. If she were to be honest, though, she was kind of glad that he wasn't there to witness what had happened. Yes, it was embarrassing, but more importantly, if he were there, she probably wouldn't have met the platinum blonde. The two would have remained perfect strangers, never having met despite their close proximity on the ice.</p><p>"I went to grab my water bottle from my bag and ran into a buddy of mine." Kristoff paused for a second, his eyes shifting to the plastic walker that was in front of Anna. "But hey, looks like you've got this skating thing down." He flashed her a thumbs up.</p><p>"Uh, if you mean pushing a skating aid across the ice, then yes," Anna said. "I've gotten pretty good at it. But hey—don't change the subject! I'm talking about my chocolate cone." She crossed her arms over her chest and puffed out her cheeks. She wasn't about to give up on her ice cream just yet.</p><p>With a sigh, Kristoff gave in. "Fine. one chocolate cone. But it'll have to be some other time. I gotta go home and take Sven on his walk after this."</p><p>"As long as you don't forget!" Anna exclaimed as she began to march forward again; she didn't want to admit it but the very thought of ice cream had given her a boost of newfound energy. Hands gripped around the skating aid, she continued to move along the rink with Kristoff by her side. He had purposely slowed down so that the two could skate together; it was something that Anna appreciated after having been left by herself for the past half-hour. It felt like they were finally doing what they were here to do.</p><p>Continuing down the rink, she wondered whether or not she should tell Kristoff about her new friend. Actually, were they even friends? They'd only exchanged a few words now that she thought about it. Mind shifting back to the figure skater, she found herself staring back at the hockey circle—and Elsa was still there; jumping and spinning with all the grace that Anna could only wish she had.</p><p>"Hey, are you listening?" Kristoff's voice broke her out of her reverie. She was so deep in thought that she had completely tuned him out for the past couple of minutes. "What's going on with you? You're like zoning out."</p><p><em>You know, just thinking about that figure skater over there</em>. But of course, she didn't say that out loud. "Oh, nothing. Just thinking about stuff." She tried to make it sound as natural as possible.</p><p>Kristoff looked at her skeptically before continuing. "I was saying that there's only 10 minutes left in the session."</p><p>"Wait, what?" Anna's head whipped around to look at the timer that was mounted on the wall; its numbers red and ticking down quickly. 9 minutes and 50 seconds—he was right! Where did all the time go? It seemed like they'd only just began to skate together! Now that she's finally getting used to the ice, it's almost over? What a bummer. She gave a small sigh.</p><p>"We can still skate. We just have to make sure that we leave before the timer reaches zero. That's when everyone gets out. It's always a gong show—we'd be lucky to find a spot on the bench," Kristoff explained, moving behind Anna and her skating aid.</p><p>"Wait, what are you doing?" she squealed.</p><p>"Just trust me on this." He gave Anna a quick smile before putting his hands on the plastic walker, one on each side. Trapping her between the aid and himself, he began to push, blades digging into the ice as he gathered speed. Anna could only widen her eyes as they sped down the rink, weaving through people left and right. They were going so fast, she was pretty sure it was illegal. But she was having way too much fun to care; she could feel the chilled wind against her face and honestly, it was exhilarating.</p><hr/><p>After saying goodbye to Kristoff, she had gone back to her dorm room, eaten a small meal, and showered. Despite not having actually "skated", her leg muscles were tingling; it was as if she did more than just push around a skating aid. Amused by the thought, she chuckled to herself as she curled up in bed. She was tired, yes, but not tired enough to want to go to sleep yet. Grabbing her laptop with one hand, she decided that there was only one logical thing to do—watch Netflix.</p><p>By the time she'd finished watching <em>The Good Place</em> (She's a huge fan of Kristen Bell), it was nearly 2 am. Clearly, all sense of time had gone out the window while she was binge-watching the episodes. <em>Crap</em>. She just remembered that she had an early class the next morning; she still hadn't gotten used to her schedule yet, having only started college a couple of weeks ago. Mentally scolding herself, she reached over to the table beside her and put away her laptop. With that, she scuffled back underneath her blanket. Pulling it up toward her neck, she closed her eyes as her consciousness began to ebb. Before she knew it, she had drifted off into sleep.</p><p>The next morning, she woke up exhausted. It took every ounce of willpower for her to drag herself to her mathematics class. She'd always thought it was boring, but today, the equations that her professor wrote on the chalkboard only seemed to lull her to sleep. If it wasn't for her brunette friend, who kept nudging her every now and then, she would have definitely made a scene with her loud snoring.</p><p>"Stayed up late again?" Rapunzel asked as they began packing their bags. The lecture was finally over and Anna couldn't be more relieved. She had a two-hour break before her next class so she could finally get some rest. Throwing her satchel over her shoulder, she stretched out her arms and gave a big yawn.</p><p>"Yeah, Netflix," Anna replied with her mouth still half-open, "and before you say anything Punzie, no, I don't regret it."</p><p>Her friend raised a brow. "I think those dark circles of yours beg to differ," she laughed, looping her arm through Anna's. "You need caffeine. I heard they opened a new coffee shop next to the Student Rec Center. Let's go check it out!"</p><p>Anna had never been a coffee person. It's not that she didn't like it, she's just indifferent to the taste. If she had a choice, she'd much rather indulge herself in something sweet, like chocolate. But she could definitely use a pick-me-up right now. Maybe she'll go for a Mocha—at least there's chocolate in that.</p><p>"Lead the way!"</p><p>The two eventually arrived at the coffee shop, which was located right next to the Student Rec building. Newly renovated, the glass storefront almost seemed to glisten in the sun. Peeking through the windows, which stretched from the ceiling all the way to the floor, Anna could swear that there was a tray of baked goods with her name on it even though they were still outside. From what she could see, there weren't too many people; two employees at the front while a couple of others sat at the tables.</p><p>Pushing the glass door open, she and her friend were greeted by the uplifting scent of coffee and if her nose was right, there was also a hint of chocolate in the air. Unlinking her arm from her friend's, Anna stepped forward to look at the menu that hung from the ceiling. <em>Americano...cappuccino...espresso...ah, there it is, mocha. </em>Mind set on the chocolate drink, her gaze swung toward Rapunzel, who was still studying the menu.</p><p>Not wanting to bother her, she turned her attention to the tray of goodies that she'd been eyeing just minutes earlier. There were all kinds of things laid out on the display, each just as scrumptious-looking as the next. It didn't take long for her to decide on the Nanaimo bars—they were pretty much calling out to her!</p><p>"Ready?" Rapunzel asked, walking up next to the redhead. Anna's eyes had still been glued to the snacks when she heard her voice. "I'm going to try their caffè latte. Let me guess, you're gonna get a Mocha?"</p><p>"Yup!" Anna chirped, reaching into her bag for her wallet. "Here, lemme order. Your caffè latte is on me. Since you kept me awake during class and all."</p><p>Rapunzel grinned at her comment.</p><p>Stepping up toward the till, Anna waited for one of the employees to come and take their order; they'd gone to the back while they were still looking at the menu. She didn't have to wait long though, before the click-clack of shoes signaled the return of a staff member.</p><p>"Hi there, what can I get for you today?" The barista asked as she hurriedly stepped in front of the register. She donned a black short-sleeved shirt and a tan-colored apron, which was obviously their uniform. Eyes rising to the girl's face, Anna was just about to order their drinks when strands of platinum blonde hair fell into her vision. <em>Wait, could it be…?</em></p><p>"Elsa?" Her voice came out like a squeak.</p><p>"What? You know the barista?" Rapunzel asked, the high-pitch tone in her voice indicating that she was waiting for an answer.</p><p>"Uh, I do actually. Umm, this is Elsa. I met her at the skating rink yesterday after I almost fe-, I mean I met her at the skating rink," Anna said, correcting herself at the last second. She decided to leave out the part about how she almost died on the ice.</p><p>Turning back to face Elsa, Anna could see her eyes widen as recognition dawned on her face.</p><p>"Oh. Hello, Anna. I didn't expect to see you here," she said. Her voice was just as soft and warm as Anna had remembered it to be. "What can I get you?"</p><p>"Umm, can I get a small mocha and a small caffè latte? And one of those Nanaimo bars." She pointed her finger at the display. The barista nodded and hit a few keys on the register. "That's all!"</p><p>Just as Elsa was about to repeat their order, Anna's brain decided to continue, "But wow. I had no idea that you worked here. What a coincidence!" She smiled nervously as she fought the urge to ramble. "You look great in that apron! I mean, I'm sure you'd look great in anything, wait what? Umm anyway, this is my friend Rapunzel." It didn't take long for the redhead to realize what she was doing. Her brain had decided to spit words out without thinking again.</p><p>Anna watched as Elsa laughed quietly under her breath. "Nice to meet you, Rapunzel. I'm Elsa." It took Anna a couple of seconds to realize that that was all she was going to say. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed but hey, she'll take whatever she can get<em>. </em>And besides, the girl <em>was </em>technically at work. "So that was one small mocha, one small caffè latte, and one Nanaimo bar. That will be $7.40. I'll have everything out for you guys in just a couple of minutes."</p><p>Anna gave a small thanks before tapping the top of the payment terminal with her debit card; it eventually gave out a small beep and with that, she slid the card back into her wallet.</p><p>"Wait, that's it? You guys have to tell me more about what happened!" Rapunzel urged, putting one of her hands on Anna's shoulders. "What's this ice skating thing?"</p><p>"You see, Kristoff had this brilliant idea of going to the ice rink," Anna explained, looking at Elsa who was now preparing their drinks; she could tell from the slight nod of her head that she was listening in on the conversation. "Stuff happened and um yeah, that's how I met Elsa."</p><p>"That totally doesn't tell me anything." Rapunzel crossed her arms.</p><p>Before Anna could say anything else, Elsa had returned with their order. "One mocha, one caffè latte, and one Nanaimo bar." She placed everything on the counter and immediately the redhead could sense the sweet aroma that was now permeating through the air.</p><p>"So Elsa, what <em>really </em>happened?" Rapunzel asked as she reached up to grab her latte. Anna did the same for her two items; her Nanaimo bar had been carefully put in a small paper bag.</p><p>"Um, I'm not sure if that's for me to say." Elsa brushed an invisible strand of hair behind her ear. For some reason, her words made Anna feel a little happy. Was the figure skater going to help keep her disaster on the ice a secret? She actually wasn't <em>that </em>against telling Rapunzel about what had happened but now that it's become this secretive topic, she figured that maybe she'll keep it a secret for just a bit longer.</p><p>Suddenly, there was a booming voice, one that spoke in a thick Scandinavian accent.</p><p>"Elsa, if your friends are here, why don't you go for your break, ya?" A massive man stood beside the barista; he must have stepped out while she was still lost in her thoughts. Anna recognized him from when she'd peeked into the window a little earlier; he was one of the two employees that she'd seen. Now that she's in front of him, she realized just how big he was. He pretty much towered over her!</p><p>"Oh, I'm okay," Elsa replied quickly; she seemed hesitant to accept the man's offer.</p><p>"Go on! You know you're overdue for a break—and besides, it's not every day that your friends come visit."</p><p>Elsa paused for a second and eventually relented with a nod. Reaching her hands back, she undid the straps that kept the apron against her waist; she then slid the piece of fabric off over her head. Folding it up neatly, she placed it on the back counter.</p><p>"We can sit at one of the tables," Elsa said, motioning toward the back of the store. Following her lead, Anna and Rapunzel sat down at a small round table next to each other; the barista pulled in a chair and joined them on the opposite side.</p><p>"So, how long have you worked here?" Rapunzel asked, putting her caffè latte on the table.</p><p>"Not too long, actually. I believe it's been two weeks," Elsa replied. "I also work at the ice rink as a skating instructor, part-time."</p><p>"Wow, so you work two jobs!" Rapunzel exclaimed, slightly amazed. "Also, that explains why you were at the ice rink."</p><p><em>Hmmmm...so she teaches people how to skate</em>. Anna took a sip of her mocha, which to her surprise, wasn't that bitter at all. She had put the Nanaimo bar in her bag for later. To be honest, she wanted to talk to the platinum blonde, get to know her better, but now that they'd actually sat down, she wasn't sure what to say.</p><p>"Oh, I wasn't teaching yesterday. I was just doing some practicing." Elsa explained, brushing her bangs back with her hand.</p><p>Rapunzel raised her brows. "Practicing?"</p><p>"She's a figure skater. She can do all these amazing things on the ice like spins and jumps and stuff," Anna finally chimed in. She drew a few loops in the air with her finger to demonstrate her point.</p><p>"That's amazing!" Rapunzel clapped her hands together in front of her face. "The only thing I'm good at is swinging a frying pan around."</p><p>A look of confusion spread across Elsa's face.</p><p>"Uh, she means c-cooking. She gets pretty wild in the kitchen." Anna said nervously as she looked at her friend. "But heh, that's a story for another day."</p><p>Silence fell upon them for just a second before Elsa spoke again. "So...did you enjoy your date at the ice rink?" The sudden question caught Anna off guard. She wasn't expecting that. Her? On a date with Kristoff?</p><p>"Oh, nononono," she sputtered, shaking her head. "You see, I think you might be um, misunderstanding something." She could see Rapunzel stifle a laugh from the corner of her eye.</p><p>Elsa tilted her head slightly and she took that as a cue to continue. "I was with Kristoff, who's my friend. He's a guy, but we're just friends, uh regular friends, and it was just a hanging out kind of situation."</p><p>"Oh. I'm sorry. I saw you guys together and just..." Elsa paused for a second, a tinge of pink appearing on her cheeks. "It was wrong for me to assume. I apologize."</p><p>Unable to contain herself any longer, Rapunzel burst into laughter. "They're just friends. Don't worry about it."</p><p>"Yeah, d-don't worry about it." Anna chuckled as she took another sip of her mocha. Her drink had gotten slightly cold, but the taste of chocolate was just as welcoming as before. Just as she was reveling in the taste, a pair of hands slammed onto the table.</p><p>"Hey! I just thought of a great idea." Rapunzel exclaimed with a sparkle in her eyes; it looked as if a lightbulb had gone off in her head. Uh oh. The last time she had a great idea, she'd told Anna to dress up as a chameleon for a Halloween party. She had relented after Rapunzel personally got her the costume (where she found it, she had no idea) and it's something that she still regrets to this day.</p><p>"Why don't you get Elsa to teach you how to skate?"</p><p>Anna almost spat out her drink. "Wait, what?" She could hardly believe the words that just came out of her friend's mouth. Her? Learn how to skate? As Elsa's student? That's crazy on so many levels! She was fine with just gliding around on the ice for fun but to actually <em>learn </em>how to skate? That's totally different! "How on earth did you even come up with that idea?!" Judging by Elsa's wide-eyed look, she was just as surprised as she was.</p><p>"Didn't you say that you wanted to pick up a sport once you got into college?" There was a big smirk on Rapunzel's face. "Here's your chance. You said yourself that she's a great figure skater. I'm sure that she can teach you a thing or two."</p><p>"What? No-I mean yes, she's a great figure skater but that doesn't mean that she wants to teach someone like me!" Anna objected. "A-and anyway, I'd be a terrible student! You know me, I have the attention span of a goldfish."</p><p>"Hm, can't argue with that. The goldfish part, I mean," Rapunzel laughed, nodding. Relieved that they might finally be done with the topic, Anna relaxed back into her chair. But that relief didn't last long.</p><p>"I don't mind, if that's what you want." Elsa's words came as yet another surprise to the redhead.</p><p>Anna bit her lip. Did she just say that she was okay with it? On one hand, she was <em>slightly </em>excited about the opportunity; she'd be able to learn how to skate from the goddess herself! At the same time, however, it made her nervous. It wasn't the idea of skating that worried her, but the thought of spending one-on-one time with Elsa. For some reason, she gave her the butterflies; maybe it was because they were so different. Elsa is poised, elegant, and regal and well...she's none of the above. As if that wasn't bad enough, her brain also had a tendency of shutting down without notice. She's only able to compose herself now because her friend is here with her.</p><p>"Well, what'll it be?" Rapunzel's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.</p><p>"Umm, I guess I could maybe, uh, give it a try," she muttered, "but I don't think I'll be very good at it...not that you're not a great skating instructor or anything, I'm sure you are! It's just that, you know, knowing me, I'll probably end up breaking my foot."</p><p>"You're rambling again."</p><p>She couldn't help it; it wasn't her fault that her brain couldn't get the words right. Looking up from the table, she noticed that Elsa was staring right at her.</p><p>"Anna, it's okay. Please, don't worry about it. I'd be happy to teach you if you're interested," Elsa said, giving her a reassuring smile. While her words made her feel a little better, she was still unsure. Should she go for it? Would that be the right decision? What would a normal person do? Just as she was about to dive back into her thoughts, she heard the blonde continue. "If you're interested, we can do a trial session first and see how that goes."</p><p><em>A trial session...so if it doesn't work out I can just quit? Huh, that doesn't seem so bad. </em>Nodding her head, she finally gave her answer. "I think I can do that."</p><p>"Great. I actually have some time on Friday," Elsa began, "I'll be at the rink for the 5:30 pm session. Does that work for you?" Anna tried to remember her schedule. If her memory's correct, her last class ends at four on Fridays so she <em>should</em> have enough time to get there.</p><p>"Yeah, that works." She said as she took the last few sips of her mocha. She could see a huge grin on Rapunzel's face from her peripheral vision. <em>What's she so happy about? Weirdo</em>. Mind swinging back to her current situation, she began to wonder. Was she making the right choice? She wasn't sure, but she'd be lying if she said that she wasn't just a<em> little </em>bit excited about going back on the ice—this time with Elsa.</p><p>
  <em>Guess I'll be taking skating lessons...</em>
</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anna was pretty sure that her stomach was trying to digest itself; the growls were so loud, it sounded like there was a beast in her body. At least her class was finally over. Swinging her bag over her shoulder, she made a beeline for the food hall. She'd told Kristoff to meet her there for lunch; it was something that they did whenever their schedules matched. Walking over to the building, she saw that her friend had already arrived.</p><p>"What took you so long? I'm like starving!" Kristoff motioned for her to get inside. "Come on, before the line-ups get too long!"</p><p>Anna picked up her pace and walked through the door. "I came here as fast as I could! And trust me, I'm just as hungry as you are."</p><p>Now that it was lunchtime, the food hall was bustling with activity. There were dozens of students scattered throughout the room, most of whom were indulging themselves in some sort of fast food. Sniffing at the air as she entered the building, Anna could make out french fries and burgers. But that wasn't what she came here for. Nope. She was craving something a little on the sweeter side. Making her way toward the front, she soon found herself standing in front of her favorite sandwich bar. And there it was, the thing that she'd been thinking about for the past hour—the delectable chocolate grilled cheese.</p><p>"I'm gonna grab something here. You can go order your food and we can meet back over there." Anna pointed toward the center of the room, which unlike the back section, still had plenty of empty seats.</p><p>Kristoff gave her a nod. "Alrighty then, see you in a bit." As if on a mission, he quickly marched off in the opposite direction. With that, Anna turned her attention back to the sandwich bar. She'd discovered the place a little over a week ago. Despite the size of the shop, they actually had some of the best sandwiches that she's ever tasted. In fact, she's proud to say that she has pretty much tried everything on the menu—everything except for the peanut butter and chicken. How anyone can eat that, she has no idea. She much preferred the sweetness of chocolate and cheese pressed between two slices of bread.</p><p>Seeing that there was no one in line, she stepped up to the front and made her order. Minutes later, she had the hot, toasty sandwich in her hands. Eager to dig in, she made her way back to the center of the hall. To her surprise, however, Kristoff was already sitting there with his tray of food. <em>It's like he can teleport sometimes, I swear...</em></p><p>Walking up toward the table, Anna noticed a big bowl of orange liquid. "Carrot soup, again?" She made sure to put extra emphasis on the last word. "Like, don't you ever get sick of carrots?"</p><p>"You know, I could say that same thing about you and chocolate," Kristoff smirked. "Lemme guess, you probably got that weird grilled cheese thing again. What was it? Brie and peanut butter?"</p><p>"Um, no. It's Brie and <em>chocolate. </em>Big difference," Anna said, pursing her lips. "And it's absolutely delicious by the way, you should try it." Before she knew it, she had torn off the wrapper and stuffed half the sandwich into her mouth, her cheeks bulging like a squirrel. Her appearance was the last thing on her mind, though—she was way too hungry for that. All she could think about was the chocolatey goodness that was now spreading inside her mouth. It was just as heavenly as she'd remembered.</p><p>"Yeah, I'll pass," Kristoff replied, wrinkling his nose.</p><p>Anna rolled her eyes. Obviously, he didn't understand the meaning of good food. But whatever, that just meant more chocolate for her.</p><p>"Anyway, what was it that you wanted to talk about?"</p><p>"Oh right. I was going to tell you—I'm taking skating lessons!"</p><p>"You're what?" Kristoff raised his eyebrow.</p><p>"I'm going to take skating lessons. You know, learn how to skate on the ice and stuff." Anna thought she was being pretty clear but all she got back was a blank look from her friend.</p><p>"Lemme get this straight. <em>You're </em>taking skating lessons? The girl who was complaining about how uncomfortable her skates were?" He gave her an incredulous look. "I don't buy it."</p><p>"Things happened, okay? I met a girl and she said she's going to teach me," Anna explained.</p><p>"Who?" Kristoff leaned in and tilted his head to one side.</p><p>"Um, her name is Elsa. She's a figure skater and she's like, really good," Anna said as she finished the last few bites of her grilled cheese; she had made sure to lick all the chocolate off her lips. "We're just going to do one lesson and see how that goes."</p><p>But the last part never made it to Kristoff's ears. "Wait, Elsa as in the Ice Queen?"</p><p>"The <em>Ice Queen</em>?" Anna tilted her head and furrowed her brows. What did he say? Ice Queen? Was he talking about Elsa?</p><p>"That's what people call her at the rink," Kristoff explained, finishing the last bit of his soup. "I don't know her personally but that's what I've heard from other rink-goers. Heard she's a pretty good figure skater."</p><p>"But why Ice Queen?"</p><p>Kristoff shrugged his shoulders. "Rumor has it she doesn't get along with other people. Even when she's at the rink, she doesn't talk to anyone unless she's teaching."</p><p>"Oh." Anna frowned. Did he just say that Elsa doesn't get along with other people? Were they even talking about the same person? Because the Elsa that she knew was nice—very nice, in fact. Sure, they'd only met just a few days ago and she wasn't much of a conversationalist but that wasn't important. Heck, she had volunteered to teach her how to skate! Would an unfriendly person go out of their way to do something like that?</p><p>"But like I said, it's just a rumor. Don't think about it too much." Kristoff said, giving her a smile. "I'm surprised that she agreed to teach someone like you, though."</p><p>"So am I…" Anna paused for a second before continuing. "To be honest, I'm a little nervous about the whole thing. I'll probably make a fool out of myself but you know me, I won't back down from a challenge!"</p><p>"That's the spirit, kiddo!" Kristoff reached over and patted Anna on the head. "So…when's your lesson?"</p><p>"Friday."</p><p>"Isn't that tomorrow?" Kristoff narrowed his eyes.</p><p>"Yup."</p><hr/><p>Anna looked at the clock that was on the wall—4 pm. Her professor had managed to end the class right on time, something that he didn't do that often. The skating session wasn't until 5:30 pm so there was still plenty of time for her to get ready. Should she go back and change? She looked down at what she was wearing. <em>Hmmm, yup. These sweatpants look like pajamas.</em></p><p>It didn't take long for her to get back to her dorm room; the lecture hall that she'd been in was only been a few minutes' walk away. Putting her bag down on the floor, she walked over to her tiny closet and swung open the doors; there were shoes on the ground and a handful of shirts hanging down from the top. Bending down, she opened the plastic drawer that laid on the floor. What should she wear? Leggings? Yoga pants? The last time she was at the rink, she just wore whatever but now that she's going in for an actual lesson, she wanted to make sure that she's wearing the proper stuff.</p><p>After some deliberation, she picked out a pair of black leggings. If her memory is correct, that's what Elsa wore the last time she was at the rink. Walking over toward the mirror, she held the pair of pants against the lower half of her body.<em> This goes well with my sweater, right? Wait. Why am I even thinking about that? Elsa won't care what I look like—I'm going for a skating lesson, not a date.</em> Shaking her head, she kicked off her shoes and changed into the pants.</p><p>Glancing at her phone, she could see that it was now 4:12 pm. The skating rink was only 10 minutes away by bus and even if she factored in the walk to the bus stop, she still had lots of time. Surely, there was time for a snack. Opening her drawer, she took out a small box—one that had the word, "snacks" written on the front with black marker. With the flick of her hand, she took off the lid and picked up a small chocolate bar. Flopping down on her bed, she unwrapped the treat and stuffed one side of it into her mouth. She knew that she probably shouldn't eat in bed but old habits die hard. Closing her eyes, she took in the sweetness that was now in her palate; it gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling and it just made her feel so relaxed…</p><p>The next thing she knew, she was lying in bed with her mouth half-open. <em>Oh, crap.</em> Did she fall asleep? She picked up her phone and immediately froze when she saw the time. 4:56 pm. She'd passed out for nearly an hour! As if that wasn't bad enough, there was also a small puddle of drool on her shirt. Scrambling to her feet, she frantically opened the bus app on her phone. Would she still make it? One look at the screen and she knew that she'd made a grave mistake; she'd just missed the 4:50 pm bus and the next one wasn't coming for another forty-five minutes. <em>Well, that's just great. Nothing like missing the first skating lesson with Elsa. </em>Anna put her palm to her forehead and gave out a sigh. She knew that she'd have to act fast if she still wanted to make it to the lesson. Turning her head toward the ground, her eyes caught sight of a pair of running shoes, the same ones that she used to wear back in high school. <em>Ugh…I'm definitely going to regret this…</em></p><p> </p><p>Running had never been her thing. It's not that she couldn't run; she could, pretty fast actually, but she could never do it for long. Maybe five minutes tops if she managed to get her breathing right—and that's exactly why she's so proud of herself now. Somehow, she had managed to run the 3 km from her dorm to the rink in about 20 minutes. She looked at her phone—5:21pm. Her lungs were on fire and it felt like she was going to hurl at any minute but she did it. <em>Huh, maybe I should have joined track and field or something.</em></p><p>Opening the door to the rink, she was immediately met with a breeze of cold air and while it felt nice, it didn't help much with her huffing and puffing. If she could, she would have sat down and given herself a rest but she knew that there were only a few minutes left before the session started. Not wanting to waste any more time, she walked to the front desk and paid for her admission. In exchange for a few dollars, she was given a neon pink wristband, one that reminded her of Barbie. <em>Wow, couldn't they have gone with any other color?</em> She stared at it for a couple of seconds before putting it on her hand anyway.</p><p>While there was a decent amount of people at the rink, it wasn't nearly as crowded as last time. Weaving her way through, she made it to the benches where they had sat the other day. Having finally caught her breath, her eyes began to scan the room for her skating instructor. She eventually spotted the platinum blonde sitting at a nearby bench tying her skates and like last time, she was clad in black. <em>I wonder why she's so into black…</em></p><p>Wanting to get her attention, she called out her name. "Elsa!" Her voice was a bit raspier than normal.</p><p>The skater looked up and met her teal eyes with a smile. But that only lasted about a second. "Anna, are you okay?" Elsa seemed genuinely concerned about her wellbeing.</p><p>"Huh?" Anna tilted her head as she tried to make sense of the question. <em>Oh no, did she see the drool stain on my shirt?</em></p><p>"Your face, it's pretty red. Do you have a fever?" Elsa asked.</p><p><em>Right. </em>She forgot that her face always turns beet-red after running. "Oh, no, I'm okay. It's just, I fell asleep earlier, not because I wasn't looking forward to our lesson or anything, but because I was tired and uh, that made me miss my bus so I had to run here."</p><p>Elsa blinked her eyes. "You ran here? From school?"</p><p>She smiled sheepishly. "Um, yeah I did, actually."</p><p>"If you told me, I could have given you a ride," Elsa said.</p><p>Anna paused. Did Elsa just say that she would have given her a ride? Now she's kicking herself for having run the 3 km. But then she remembered—they never even exchanged numbers. How would she have even been able to tell her?</p><p>And from the look on the skater's face, she'd realized the same thing. "I'll give you my number later," Elsa murmured. "So that you can contact me if anything happens."</p><p>What? Elsa's going to give her her phone number? Even though she might quit after this one lesson? <em>Whoo! I probably shouldn't say anything about that, though.</em></p><p>"Anyway, I was thinking about doing a 30-minute lesson today. Would you be okay with that?"</p><p>"Yeah, that works for me," Anna nodded.</p><p>"Great! There's no set time for the lesson. We can start whenever you like so you can take your time to get ready."</p><p><em>Oh right. She still had to get her skates. What was she thinking just standing around and socializing like that? </em>"I'm…going to go get my skates then. Rental skates, I mean," Anna said, pointing her finger at the rental shop. "I'll be right back!"</p><p>The rental shop was just at the other end of the rink, next to the bathrooms. Seeing that it was almost her turn, she put out her arm for balance and took off her shoes. Now that she was just in her socks, she could feel the coldness of the mats beneath her.</p><p>"Size 7, please," Anna told the man at the front counter. She handed him her shoes and watched as he disappeared behind a shelf and eventually returned with a pair of skates. She said a quick thank you and took them into her hands.</p><p>Just as she was about to walk back to the benches, she came across a familiar-looking bin. <em>Hmmm…I guess I should probably get a helmet. Just in case I land on my head or something. </em>Reaching her hand into the pile, she picked one that she thought looked a little newer than the rest. With that, she made her way back to the benches. Elsa was waiting for her.</p><p>By the time she got back, the figure skater had finished tying up her skates. Unlike her rentals, which were grey and ugly, Elsa's skates were pure white, almost like snow. And were those gemstones on the sides? <em>Fancy.</em></p><p>"They just started to let people onto the ice," Elsa said. "But I figured I would wait for you so that we can go in together. The session goes until 7 pm so there's no rush."</p><p>Before she had even realized it, a smile had crept across her face. "Thanks…but you don't have to. I wouldn't want to keep you waiting. It's probably going to take me a while to get these things on. The last time I was here, I had to tie them up like four times before I could even move off the bench."</p><p>"It's okay, Anna. I don't mind." Elsa's voice was soft and gentle.</p><p>"Oh, okay. Thanks." Anna plopped down on the bench and put the rental skates on the ground; the helmet had rolled out of her arms and onto the spot beside her. She could feel Elsa's gaze on her face as she stuck her right foot into the skate. With her other foot still on the ground, she bent down and began tying up the laces. She was never good at it to begin with, but now that she was being watched, it felt a million times harder.</p><p>"You don't have to tie the front section so tight, actually," Elsa explained, "You just want the laces to be tight where your foot and ankle bend."</p><p>"You mean here?" Anna pointed her finger to a spot on her skate.</p><p>"Right here, actually." Elsa reached down and tapped the middle of her own boot with her hand.</p><p>Anna looked at Elsa's skate and then back to her own. Pulling the laces with her hand, she could feel the middle section get tighter. "What should I do about the top part?" she asked, fingers still holding onto the string.</p><p>"Follow the crisscross pattern—it doesn't have to be as tight as the middle. You want to be able to flex your ankle."</p><p>"Okay." Anna tried her best to follow Elsa's instructions. She didn't know it but her tongue had crept out of the corner of her mouth while she was lacing up the boots. It took her a couple of tries but she eventually managed to loop the laces perfectly at the top. "Done!" Lifting her leg, she wiggled her right foot into the air—it wasn't nearly as suffocating as last time.</p><p>"There you go. See? That wasn't so bad."</p><p>"Now I just gotta do the other one…" Anna glanced at the left boot, which had slumped over onto the ground. Setting it in front of her, she put her left foot in the skate. Looping the laces around the hoops, she could feel the boot tighten as she worked her way up to the top.</p><p>Finally finished after what felt like forever, she bounced to her feet. "I did it! And it doesn't feel like it's cutting off my circulation this time!" She felt so proud of herself. This was step one in her journey to becoming a brilliant skater…maybe.</p><p>Elsa gave a few small claps as she stood up from the bench. "But it looks like you forgot something." Curious as to what she was talking about, Anna turned around and saw that she was holding her helmet in her hands.</p><p>"Oh, I totally forgot," Anna said, reaching her hand out for the helmet. "Thanks." Instead of giving it to her, however, Elsa leaned in and placed it over her head.</p><p>"Safety first," she said with a chuckle.</p><p>"Y-yeah. Safety first." Anna laughed nervously. She thought that Elsa would step back after putting the helmet on her head but she didn't. Instead, she continued to lean in; it seemed like her hands were getting closer and closer to her face with every millisecond. <em>Wait…what is she doing? What's happening? </em>Suddenly, those butterflies in her stomach came back with a vengeance. Stuck in a daze, Anna could only blink as the skater's fingertips eventually grazed the bottom of her chin.</p><p>"And there. All done."</p><p>It took her a couple of seconds to realize what had happened. Elsa had buckled the chin strap for her! Of course that's what she did. What was she even expecting? She could feel the heat rise to her cheeks but luckily for her, Elsa didn't seem to notice.</p><p>"Come on, let's go on the ice," Elsa said, motioning toward the gate.</p><p>Anna nodded and the two began to walk toward the entrance. She'd somewhat gotten used to the blades but her walk still had somewhat of a waddle to it. In contrast, Elsa's steps were elegant and graceful—both on the ground and on the ice. If anything, it reminded Anna of a queen. <em>The Ice Queen</em>… The words suddenly rang in her head. What was the story behind that anyway? She wanted to know so badly but she knew that it wasn't in her place to ask. Would Elsa ever get comfortable enough to tell her? She hoped so. For now, though, she was going to go on the ice and make the most out of her skating lesson. Who knows? Maybe she'll even learn a jump or two.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A/N: ...and we've officially gone over the 10k mark! Thanks for all the support so far :D</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anna followed Elsa to the end of the rink, which was coned off from the rest of the ice. Fortunately, it wasn't too far from the gate so she didn't have to move that far; she was able to get there just by shuffling her feet (while holding onto the wall, of course). And there was nobody else there, just them; everybody else was skating beyond the orange cones. If anything, it was like they had their own little private patch of ice, and well, Anna couldn't complain.</p><p>"Let's start off by learning how to fall," Elsa said. Apparently their lesson had begun.</p><p>"Fall?" Anna's voice rose in pitch. "B-but I don't want to fall…"</p><p>"It's important to learn how to fall properly, otherwise, you can hurt yourself," Elsa explained. "And don't worry, everyone falls. It's just part of skating."</p><p>"Even you?" Anna couldn't imagine someone as perfect as Elsa falling onto the ice. Does that kind of thing even happen?</p><p>"Yes, even me. I've probably fallen hundreds of times." Elsa let out a small laugh. "Anyway, here's what you want to do." Anna watched as she bent down and surrendered herself to gravity; the side of her black hoodie grazing the surface as she hit the ice.</p><p>"Doesn't that hurt?"</p><p>"Not really. The key is to fall on your side—you never want to fall forward or backward," Elsa said, getting back on her feet. "Why don't you give it a try?"</p><p>Anna gulped. She had no idea that falling would be on her agenda today. Maybe she should have asked about what the lesson entailed before saying yes; but it was too late for that now. Elsa was waiting—waiting for her to fall, as funny as that sounded. So she mimicked what she saw and bent her knees.</p><p>"That's it, now lean your weight toward one side. It won't hurt that much since you're already so close to the ice."</p><p>She did as she was told—and to her surprise, it wasn't that bad at all. Her butt was cold, yes, but it was barely painful.</p><p>"You're right…it's not that bad," Anna said, patting the ice around her. The fact that she was proud of her fall somewhat amused her.</p><p>"Great. Now can you get back up? Do you remember what I did earlier?" Elsa asked.</p><p>Anna looked up at Elsa. "Umm…can I get a hint?"</p><p>"So, what you want to do is go on your knees," Elsa explained, kneeling on the ice. "Put one foot up and you'll be able to push yourself up by placing your hands on your knee…like this." By the time Anna had blinked, Elsa was back on her feet.</p><p>"You make it look so easy," she said, pressing her lips together.</p><p>"Give it a try, you can do it."</p><p>Anna mumbled an "okay" as she scrambled to her knees. Putting her hands out for support, she slowly lifted her leg and placed her right skate on the ice; she could feel the blade wiggle beneath her as she pushed onto her knee and raised herself. As proud of the feat as she was, however, she couldn't help but frown at the cold and wet sensation that was now on her posterior. She'd been sitting on the ice for too long.</p><p>Elsa tilted her head. "Is everything okay?"</p><p>"Oh um, nothing. Just admiring myself, you know, for a job well done." Anna quickly brushed the remaining snow off her pants.</p><p>"Remember, the more you fall, the less scary it'll be. Did you want to practice a bit more?" Elsa motioned toward the ice.</p><p>"O-oh yeah, definitely. But maybe just not now." Anna glanced at the ice and then quickly back at Elsa. "Maybe later? After we've done some other things?" She really didn't want her butt to be wetter than it already was.</p><p>Elsa nodded. "Okay, then let's move onto stroking."</p><p>"Stroking?"</p><p>"It's when you push your blade against the ice to propel yourself forward or backward," Elsa explained. She did a little demonstration for Anna.</p><p>"Oh I see," Anna said. "So you just push…like this? Woaahhh!" Anna didn't know it, but she had placed her weight too far forward on her blade—and that almost always spells disaster when you're on the ice. She waved her arms frantically to try and balance herself but it was too late; her toepick had spelled her demise. Even Elsa couldn't reach her in time. So she fell, again.</p><p>"Oof!"</p><p>"I guess you wanted to practice your falling after all," Elsa laughed, offering Anna her hand. "Here, let me help you up."</p><p>"Thanks." Anna could feel her cheeks grow hot as she took Elsa's hand. <em>That was embarrassing. Stupid toepick.</em></p><p>Balancing back on her feet, she brushed off the ice that had stuck onto her pants. And that was when she realized just how cold her hands were. She hadn't noticed it before but her fingers had turned a bright shade of pink, almost red. In hindsight, she probably should have brought a pair of gloves; she knew that she had a pair somewhere in her room.</p><p>"Did you want to wear gloves?" Elsa seemed to have read her mind.</p><p>"Oh, I didn't bring any," Anna said as she lowered her hands. Apparently, she'd been staring at them.</p><p>"I actually have an extra pair," Elsa said. "If you want, you can borrow them."</p><p>"What? Are you sure? I-I wouldn't want to get them dirty."</p><p>"Here, let me go get them." Before Anna could even respond, Elsa had skated back toward the gate, leaving Anna by herself in their little patch of ice. Worried that she might somehow fall again, she latched herself onto the wall. The last thing that she wanted was for Elsa to come back to see her sprawled out on the ice…again.</p><p>In the end, she didn't have to wait that long at all; it only took Elsa a couple of minutes to grab the garment and come back.</p><p>"Here, you can wear these. I always keep an extra pair in my bag, just in case." She handed Anna a pair of black gloves.</p><p>"Thanks." Anna gratefully took them into her hands and it didn't take long for her to notice the shiny snowflake that was embroidered on the back—the same snowflake that Elsa had on the back of <em>her </em>gloves. They're going to be wearing the same thing! A smile tugged across her lips. Leaning her body against the boards, she slipped her hands into the gloves and could feel an immediate difference in her fingers; they were already starting to warm up, despite the fact that she'd only just put them on.</p><p>"Let's forget about stroking for now and try some swizzles instead. It might be easier." Elsa said.</p><p>"Swizzles?" Anna thought of the cocktail.</p><p>"It's a move where you move your feet in a fish shape."</p><p>"That sounds…complicated," Anna said, furrowing her brows.</p><p>"Trust me, it's not as bad as it sounds."</p><p>The next thing she knew, Elsa had whipped out some sort of marker from her pocket. Not just one either, but two. Popping off the lids, she folded her body forward and began to draw something on the ice with a marker in each hand. <em>Wow, is she ambidextrous or something?</em></p><p>By the time Elsa had put them away, she had glided several meters down the rink. At first, Anna thought that she was going to draw a fish but one look at the ice and she knew that that wasn't the case. It was more like a pair of squiggly lines.</p><p>"This should make things easier," Elsa said, meeting Anna back in front of the boards. "Basically, what you want to do is move your feet so that they're on the lines."</p><p>"But they look nothing like fish."</p><p>"Nevermind that. For now, just try moving your skates on the lines that I've drawn."</p><p>Anna pouted. "You mean I have to let go of the wall?" She knew that she'd have to let go sooner or later but her heart wasn't quite ready for it yet. The fact that she'd fallen just a few minutes ago definitely didn't help either.</p><p>"Don't worry, I'll be right here beside you."</p><p>Anna didn't want to admit it but those words did make her feel a little better. "Okay, so what do I do?" She shifted her gaze toward her feet.</p><p>"Put your heels together so that your blades are making a 'V' shape," Elsa began. "Then push your feet outward with your knees bent. You can use what I've drawn as a guideline." She showed Anna what she meant by doing a few swizzles on the ice.</p><p>Anna studied her movements for a few seconds before loosening her grip on the wall. Holding her arms out for balance, she slowly began to move her feet in the shape of Elsa's drawing and to her surprise, it was easier than she thought—well, kind of. She had no trouble pushing her feet outward but pushing them back in? That was impossible.</p><p>"Umm, Elsa? My feet are stuck. How do I get them to move again?"</p><p>"Put your weight slightly forward and turn your toes in. Like this." Elsa showed her what she meant with her own skates. "And it'll be easier if you don't look at your feet."</p><p>Anna lifted her head. She didn't even realize that she was staring at her own skates! Now that she thought about it, it was probably rude of her to stare at her feet while Elsa was right there in front of her.</p><p>"Whoops, sorry."</p><p>"When you look down, your center of gravity changes," Elsa said, placing her hand on Anna's side. "You don't want to let your hips go back. You want to keep them in line with your skates."</p><p>Anna straightened herself immediately at Elsa's touch. She wasn't expecting that—for Elsa to step into her personal bubble.</p><p>"Here, why don't we do this?" Elsa pushed her blades against the ice and moved so that she was inches away from Anna. "I'll hold onto your hands so that you won't have to worry about falling."</p><p>"I-I can hold your hand? Are you sure? Because I wouldn't want to drag you down with me when I fall." She tittered nervously, trying to hide the fact that she was actually excited about the idea.</p><p>"It's okay, I've got you. We won't fall." Elsa said, holding Anna's hands into hers. "If you want, you can just pretend that I'm a skating aid."</p><p>"Umm…I'm not sure if I can do that."</p><p>"What I mean is, you can use my hands to support yourself."</p><p>"Okay."</p><p>Now that Elsa was holding onto her, she wasn't nearly as nervous about moving her feet. Leaning her body slightly forward, she was able to move her skates in the full "fish" pattern that Elsa had drawn out for her—something that she wasn't able to do earlier. <em>Okay, this isn't so bad. I can do this</em>.</p><p>"Remember, don't stare at your feet."</p><p>Oh shoot. She was doing it again. Why was it so difficult not to look at her own feet? Scolding herself internally, she lifted her head—and that was when she noticed just how close she was standing to Elsa; they were so close, she could see the light dusting of freckles that were on her face. <em>They're so cute…</em></p><p>"Is something wrong?" Elsa asked.</p><p>"Oh, nothing! Sorry."</p><p>"We just have little more to go. We're almost halfway down the rink."</p><p><em>Wait, what?</em> Anna quickly turned her head; the boards that they were standing in front of earlier were now several meters away. Wow. Did she really skate all that? She felt proud and surprised at the same time.</p><p>"How about I let go so that you can try the swizzles on your own?"</p><p>"What? Don't go!" Anna grabbed Elsa's hand just as she was about to pull away. "I mean, I would much rather that you stay, if you could. Please." She wasn't sure if it was because she didn't want to fall or if it was because she wanted to keep holding onto Elsa's hand. Maybe both.</p><p>Elsa stilled for a few seconds before nodding her head.</p><p>"Thanks." She smiled sheepishly.</p><p>Hands back on top of Elsa's, Anna continued to do her swizzles down the rink; she'd somewhat gotten used to it by now. But there was just one problem—now that she wasn't looking at her skates, she wasn't really sure where to direct her eyes since, well, Elsa was right in front of her. She could gaze at her face but that would probably be awkward. She could turn her head and look the other way but then it'll probably seem like she's distracted. So she did the next best thing and stared at her hands.</p><p>"Anna, watch out!" Elsa's sudden words shook her out of her musings.</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>Before she knew it, there was that same sensation on her blade. She knew immediately that it was the toepick of doom. If it wasn't for Elsa, who grabbed her arms the second she lost her balance, she would have most definitely fallen flat on the ice.</p><p>"Are you okay? Looks like there was a hole in the ice." Elsa said, her eyes shifting toward the icy surface.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm okay. Thank goodness you were there though, otherwise, I would have gone splat on the ice!" Anna steadied herself with Elsa's help. "Why's there a random hole there, anyway? Seems dangerous if you ask me!"</p><p>"It was probably from the previous skating session. Usually, they patch the holes but they must have missed that one."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>"On the bright side, we've reached the end," Elsa said, gesturing behind her. They were just inches away from the boards.</p><p>"Wow, I can't believe it. I really skated all the way to the other side." A huge grin slid over Anna's face. "And it's all thanks to you, Elsa."</p><p>"That's not true. You did it by yourself. I just gave you a little bit of…reassurance," Elsa smirked. "It looks like we ended right on time too."</p><p><em>What? It's been 30 minutes already? That was quick. </em>Anna almost felt disappointed at the fact that their lesson was over.</p><p>"That was…fun," she finally said.</p><p>"It was fun for me too. Feel free to stay for the rest of the session." Elsa said as she gently let go of Anna's hands. "I'll be over there if need anything, just come find me." She pointed her finger toward the hockey circle.</p><p>"Oh, but um what about the payment? You know, for the lesson?"</p><p>"Don't worry about it, Anna. Like I said, it's just a trial session. You can think about it and let me know whether or not you want to continue later."</p><p>Anna had no doubt in her mind that she wanted to continue. Who knew that skating or rather, skating <em>with</em> Elsa would be so much fun? But she didn't want to seem that desperate.</p><p>"Okay. I'll let you know then."</p><p>"Sounds good. Then I suppose I'll see you in a bit?"</p><p>Anna tilted her head. She had no idea that they were going to meet up after the session! Was this Elsa's discreet way of telling her to go practice? She was okay with that, though, if it meant that they could talk again later.</p><p>"Sure."</p><hr/><p>Anna looked at her phone—6:45pm. She'd spent the last 30 minutes practicing what Elsa had taught her on the ice. Well, the swizzles and stroking anyway; she had decided to forgo the falling, she had enough of that for one day. But in the end, it didn't even matter because her butt ended up meeting the ice anyway. Somehow, she had managed to skate into another hole. Actually, she had a feeling that it was the same hole that almost brought her down earlier. The good news is that she managed to get up. The bad news is that the blade nicked her leg so now there's a stinging sensation in her calf. And that's precisely why she's sitting on a bench now. <em>Ugh, I hope Elsa didn't see that…</em></p><p>She sipped on her carton of apple juice. It had cost her her last bit of change but it was worth it; she felt re-energized again. Straw still in her mouth, she rolled up the hem of her leggings to check the damage on her leg. <em>Ooh. That's one nasty cut.</em> She winced at what she saw. While it wasn't necessarily big, it seemed to ooze a fair bit of blood. At least it didn't hurt as bad as it looked.</p><p>Anna sighed as she rolled her leggings back down. <em>I'll just deal with it later</em>.<em> But what should I do now? Should I go back on the ice? </em>She pondered her options. <em>Nah, I'll just sit and wait for Elsa. There's only like, what? Ten minutes left, anyway. </em>She sipped on her juice again. <em>Oh right, didn't she say that she was going to give me her number? I have to remember to ask her about it later.</em></p><p>Despite the fact that there were still over ten minutes left in the session, people had already started to come out. Not Elsa, though; she was still practicing ever so diligently in the center. It made Anna wonder. <em>Why is she practicing so much? Didn't she say that she only recently came back to the ice? And why do people call her the Ice Queen? </em>There were so many questions that she simply didn't have the answers to.</p><p>Anna finished her juice and threw the carton into a nearby recycling bin. <em>I guess I'll take off my skates. </em>Bending down, she started to undo the laces that she'd so painstakingly tied up earlier—and it was so much easier than when she was putting them on. Within a matter of seconds, she'd underdone everything; she wiggled her feet as they regained their freedom and boy, did it feel good.</p><p>Hopping onto the ground, she picked up her skates and began to walk to the other end of the rink. It wasn't long before she was back in front of the rental shop. Seeing that she was the only one there, she handed the man her skates, who promptly came back with her pair of shoes. With a quick "thanks", she threw them onto the ground and stuffed her feet inside. She then walked over to the bin and returned her helmet, which she had managed to take off without too much trouble.</p><p>Task complete, she padded back toward the bench. Elsa should be coming out soon. Face turned toward the rink, she began to scan the ice for the platinum blonde. But she wasn't there. <em>Hm? Where did she go?</em></p><p>Suddenly, there was a pat on her shoulder. "Elsa?" Anna spun around and saw the girl that she'd been looking for.</p><p>"Sorry, did I scare you?" Elsa lifted her hand slightly before letting it fall to her side.</p><p>"Nono, I was looking for you actually. I didn't see you on the ice."</p><p>"Oh, I just came out and I saw you so I—"</p><p>"Here! You can sit here." Anna scooched over and patted the spot beside her. <em>Oh no. Did I just interrupt her? </em>Thankfully, Elsa didn't seem bothered by it.</p><p>"Thanks," Elsa said as she sat down<strong>.</strong> She took off a funny-looking piece of plastic from her blades and began to untie her boots. "So, did you get a chance to practice the things that we went over today?"</p><p>"Uhm, yeah. Yeah, I did." Anna decided to keep it vague.</p><p>"Glad to hear." Elsa slid off her skates with practiced ease and wiped the blades with a towel. She then slid them into her bag.</p><p>Anna brushed her bangs off her forehead. <em>Is this a good time to ask for her phone number? I mean, she did say that she was going to give it to me, right? Jeez, why is this making me so nervous?</em></p><p>"What's wrong?"</p><p>"Oh, I was just wondering whether or not you wanted to exchange numbers…but it's totally okay if you don't want to do that right now—"</p><p>Elsa reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. "Of course, Anna. I didn't forget about what I said earlier. Can you type in your number for me?" She handed the device to Anna.</p><p>Anna bit down on a smile as she took it into her hand. A few taps on the screen and she had added herself as a contact on Elsa's phone. "Alrighty, here you go." She passed it back to Elsa.</p><p>"I'll send you a text message so that you'll have my number." Elsa's fingers tapped quickly on the screen. "…And sent."</p><p>"Got it!" Anna said, looking at her phone. She'd taken it out of her pocket as soon as it buzzed. "So I guess I'll text you later then? About the lesson?"</p><p>"Actually, I was wondering if you wanted a ride back to the school."</p><p>Anna blinked her eyes. "I-I can get a ride?"</p><p>Elsa nodded. "I believe the bus just left ten minutes ago and it'll be a while before the next one."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>"Let me give you a ride. We're going back to the same place anyway. It's the least I can do."</p><p>"Really?" Anna bounced up from the bench. "I mean, yes, please."</p><p>Elsa raised a brow in amusement. "Okay then, let's head back to my car."</p><p>"Yessir!"</p><p>Anna followed Elsa as she walked out of the building and into the parking lot. There weren't that many cars but it wasn't that empty either.</p><p>"Which car is yours?" she asked curiously.</p><p>"That one, over there." Elsa pointed at a Volkswagen Beetle that was parked at the side.</p><p>Anna widened her eyes. She didn't know much about cars but she did know a cute car when she saw one; it was a light blue color, almost pastel, and it reminded her of the sky.</p><p>"Have a seat," Elsa said as she unlocked the vehicle. She opened the trunk and placed her bag inside before walking over to the driver's side.</p><p>Anna carefully opened the passenger door and let herself inside. She'd never been in a Volkswagen before. Were they all cute and tiny like this? And there was this wintery mint scent that was dangling in the air. Was it coming from the snowflake that was hanging from the rearview mirror? </p><p>"You're at the dorms up on campus, right?" Elsa asked, putting her seatbelt on.</p><p>"Yeah. How did you know?" Anna said as she buckled her own seatbelt.</p><p>"You said you came from the school, so…"</p><p>"Oh, right."</p><p>"Alright, let's go." Elsa turned the keys in the ignition and the car roared to life.</p><p>"Thanks again, um, for giving me a ride," Anna said as she reached down to scratch her leg. For some reason, it was so itchy. Then she remembered—she had a cut on her calf. <em>Oh right. I still need to deal with that later.</em></p><p>"What's wrong with your leg?" Elsa was just about to turn out of the parking lot when she noticed Anna fidgeting in her seat.</p><p>Anna quickly straightened herself. "It's nothing, really. I just kind of fell earlier when I was practicing and hit my leg with the blade." She decided that it was better to tell the truth than to lie.</p><p>"What?" Elsa gasped. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? We have to clean the wound."</p><p>"Really, it's no problem. It's like, a tiny cut," Anna said. "Okay…maybe there was <em>a little bit </em>of blood but it's no big deal. I'm used to it. Totally okay."</p><p>"No, you're not. We're going to have to disinfect it."</p><p>"You mean, we're going to go back to the rink?" Anna twisted her body and looked back at the building that they'd just left.</p><p>Elsa shook her head. "No, we'll go back to my place."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Never in a million years did she imagine that one day she would be sitting on Elsa's sofa with her pants rolled up and leg facing the ceiling. They haven't even known each other for that long. Sure, Anna was more comfortable talking to her now, but still, she could count on one hand the things she knew about the girl. So it came as a surprise when Elsa decided to take her back to her place—all for the sake of her tiny cut.</p><p>"It doesn't look that deep. But we'll still have to clean it to prevent infection," Elsa said, looking at the wound. Her face was just inches away from her calf and quite honestly, it made Anna feel a little nervous. Thankfully, it only lasted a few seconds. "I'll go get the first aid kit."</p><p>Anna's eyes followed Elsa as she got up and walked into another room. Not even a minute later and she had come back with what appeared to be a small red box in her hands.</p><p>"Here we go," Elsa said as she sat down next to Anna. She placed the case beside her and took out a small bottle of solution. "This is saline—we'll use it to clean the cut."</p><p>"Isn't that like, salt water? That sounds like it's going to hurt." Anna gave a small pout.</p><p>"It'll sting a bit but it shouldn't be that bad." Elsa poured the liquid onto a gauze pad and turned toward Anna. "Can you hold still for me?"</p><p>She nodded.</p><p>"Okay, I'm going to put it on now."</p><p>Anna watched with bated breath as Elsa brought the gauze up toward her wound. She felt a wet sensation, which immediately turned into a stinging pain. "Owww, that hurts," she winced.</p><p>"A-are you okay? Am I pressing too hard?"</p><p>"Nono, it's fine," Anna said with a slight quiver in her voice. "It just caught me by surprise, that's all."</p><p>"Just a little more. We're almost done," Elsa said, holding the pad against her wound. "…Alright, that should do it."</p><p>Anna leaned back as Elsa took away the piece of gauze. The ordeal had only lasted a few seconds but it felt so much longer than that. At least her leg wasn't hurting anymore.</p><p>"Here, let's put one of these on," Elsa said, holding up a box of bandaids.</p><p>"Oh, thanks." Anna couldn't help but feel a little disappointed at what they looked like. She had nothing against plain-looking bandaids, but the ones with cartoon characters were so much better in her opinion. But she wasn't about to be choosey.</p><p>Hands on top of her legs, she watched as Elsa leaned in and placed the bandaid on her cut. Anna could feel her fingertips brush against her calf and if anything, it only made her that much more aware of what was happening. She was being cared for—by Elsa. It almost made her feel glad that she nicked her leg with the blade. Almost.</p><p>"All done," Elsa said as she stood up.</p><p>Anna looked at the perfectly-placed bandaid. It was strange, something about it gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling, but she wasn't sure why.</p><p>"Does it still hurt?"</p><p>"Hm?"</p><p>"You're staring at your cut."</p><p>"Oh, nono. It feels a lot better now. Barely hurts anymore!" Anna said as she lowered her leg back to the ground. "Anyway, you've got a great place."</p><p>Unlike Anna's room, which always seemed to be in a perpetual state of disarray, Elsa's apartment was neat; nothing seemed out of place at all. If she hadn't known, she would have thought that she stepped into an apartment from one of those interior design magazines. And it was big too. Just the living room alone was twice the size of her dorm room and there was still the kitchen and the other rooms. Plus, it was only a few blocks away from campus.</p><p>"Thanks," Elsa said. "It's just a rental that my parents are paying for while I'm in school."</p><p>"Wow, that must be nice," Anna said. "And it must cost them a fortune. This place is huge! Well, compared to my dorm room, anyway."</p><p>Elsa's eyes fell to the ground before rising back up to meet Anna's. "Oh, did you want something to drink? Sorry, I don't have people over often so I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to do."</p><p>"Nono, don't worry about it. But something to drink would be great! Thanks."</p><p>"Would you be okay with coffee?" Elsa asked.</p><p>If Anna was talking to any other person, she would have asked for a cup of hot chocolate, but Elsa wasn't any other person. "Coffee would be great, actually."</p><p>Elsa nodded and ambled to the open kitchen. "It'll just be a couple of minutes."</p><p>And like she said, it was only a couple of minutes before the scent of roasted coffee wafted in the air. Mugs in hand, Elsa made her way back to the sofa where Anna was sitting.</p><p>"Here." Elsa handed one of the mugs to Anna and plopped down next to her on the sofa.</p><p>"Thanks." Anna cradled the mug in her hands. She wasn't necessarily cold, but the warmth of the coffee felt nice against her skin. And it smelled so good too.</p><p>"I remember you like chocolate, so I added a little bit into the coffee. I hope that's okay."</p><p>Anna stilled at her words. "C-chocolate?" <em>Did she just say that she added chocolate?</em></p><p>"You ordered a mocha and a Nanaimo bar last time, so I thought…" Elsa paused for a few seconds. "Sorry, I should have asked first. I can make you something else—"</p><p>"Nono, it's okay! This is like, perfect. I couldn't have asked for anything better." Anna brought the mug to her lips and took a few sips. "Mmmm, yup! It's absolutely delicious." She could taste the bitterness of the coffee but at the same time, there was this rich sweetness that counteracted the acidity.</p><p>"I'm glad you like it," Elsa said, taking a sip out of her own cup.</p><p>There was a brief silence before Anna decided to continue. "So, how long have you been skating?" It was the first topic that came to her mind.</p><p>"I've been skating for as long as I can remember. I was probably three or four when I started."</p><p>"Wow, that's like forever ago. Oh, I'm not saying that you're old or anything! I'm just surprised that you started so young, that's all. I could barely walk properly when I was that age! But yeah, that explains it. No wonder you're so good!"</p><p>"Thanks. But I've got a long way to go. Ever since I've been off the ice, things have been a little… difficult."</p><p>Well, that made Anna curious. Now she had to ask about it. "I don't mean to pry, but why were you off the ice?"</p><p>"It's a long story…but basically, it's my fault."</p><p><em>Okay…that couldn't have been any more cryptic. </em>But Anna decided not to press her about it—for now. Maybe one day, after they've gotten closer, she'll tell her about it. That will happen, right?</p><p>"Oh, I see," Anna said, drinking from her mug again.</p><p>"Yeah," Elsa said. "But I've always enjoyed teaching. It helps pay for my ice time as well."</p><p>"Speaking of which, I was thinking of maybe…continuing the lessons." Anna's eyes floated toward Elsa. "I mean, if you're okay with it, of course! Oh, It doesn't have to be every week or anything. I wouldn't want to bother you with how busy you are with your practices and stuff. But just, whenever you have time…would be great!"</p><p>"Of course, Anna. I'd be happy to help with your skating again," Elsa said, a small smile apparent on her face. "I just have to check my ice schedule. Is it okay if I text you about it later?"</p><p>"Oh yeah, totally. Take your time!" Anna said, finishing the last bit of her coffee. It was so good, she almost wanted to ask for another cup. "But yeah, you're like, the best figure skater I know! Well, not that I know of any other figure skaters, but you know what I mean."</p><p>Elsa chuckled a little under her breath. "Thanks. It's just a lot of practice, really. And lots of falling. Trust me, I've gone through a lot of first aid kits." She eyed the red box that was now sitting on the floor.</p><p>"I don't doubt that," Anna laughed.</p><p>"But I actually wanted to apologize…for having you come over," Elsa said, her voice slightly softer.</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>"It was a sudden decision on my part…and I feel like I did it without really asking you," Elsa confessed. "But I couldn't help it. I've had a small injury turn into something big before so when you said you hurt yourself, I—"</p><p>"It's okay, Elsa." Anna placed her hand on top of Elsa's. "Really, I should be thanking you."</p><p>If it wasn't for the monstrous growl that came from Anna's stomach, that probably would have been a touching moment.</p><p>"D-did you hear that?" Her hand sprung up to cover her stomach.</p><p>Elsa stifled a laugh. "You must be hungry. Why don't you stay for dinner? I'm afraid I don't have much in the kitchen, though. Are you okay with takeout?"</p><p>"D-dinner?" Anna stammered. She taught her how to skate, cleaned her wound and now she's inviting her to stay for a meal? She might as well ask her on a date while she's at it!</p><p>"If you want to, that is."</p><p>"No, yes, I'd love to!" Anna practically jumped out of her seat. "Ooh, how about Chinese? Or maybe pizza? We can even get both depending on how hungry we are—"</p><p>"I'm not sure about both, but I'm okay with anything," Elsa said.</p><p>"Hmmm…then let's get pizza? I know this great place with a Friday night deal."</p><p>"Sure, let's do that."</p><p>"I have their app so I can just use that to order," Anna said, reaching her hand into her pocket. But the thing that she touched wasn't her phone, it was soft and felt like fabric. She recognized what it was immediately.</p><p>"Oh, shoot! I forgot to give you back your gloves!" She looked at the garment that was in her hands. "Wait, sorry, actually…can I give them back to you another time?"</p><p>"I don't mind, but why?"</p><p>"I just want to make sure that they're clean before I give them back to you. Is that okay?"</p><p>"Oh, Anna, you don't have to."</p><p>"Let me. it's the least I can do," she said, repeating Elsa's earlier words.</p><p>Elsa remained silent for a few seconds before nodding her head. "Alright then, thanks."</p><p>"Anyway….about the pizza," Anna said, shoving the gloves back in her pockets. "Which did you want? They have a thing where you can get two mediums for $15." She took out her phone and showed Elsa the promo that was on the app.</p><p>"I'll leave it up to you. You can decide."</p><p>"Alrighty then, leave it to me. I'll get us something good!" Her thumbs did a few taps over the screen. "…and ordered! It should get here in about 20 minutes."</p><p>"That was fast."</p><p>"Let's just say that I'm a regular," Anna smirked, tucking her phone away.</p><p>"Oh?"</p><p>"Yup! But enough about me. What do <em>you</em> usually eat for dinner?"</p><p>"Salads, soups, pasta, chicken dishes…I like to make my own food. I just haven't had the time to go grocery shopping."</p><p>"So you're a cook!"</p><p>"I don't know about that, but I do like to be in control of what I eat. I try to stay away from saturated fats."</p><p>"Oh." Anna bit her lip. "Are you sure you're okay with pizza then? I mean, we can still cancel, it's not too late! We can get you like, a soup or a salad or something."</p><p>"No, it's okay," Elsa said, shaking her head. "I haven't had pizza in a while so it'll be nice."</p><p>"You sure?"</p><p>"Yeah. And before I forget, let me pay you back for my share of the food," Elsa said, rising up from the sofa.</p><p>"Nono, it's on me. You know, for helping me clean my wound!" Anna said.</p><p>"What? No, I couldn't."</p><p>"Don't worry about it! It's like, super cheap anyway. Let's just enjoy the pizza!"</p><p>"Okay then, thanks. But you'll have to let me pay next time."</p><p><em>Next time?</em> <em>There's going to be a next time? </em>She felt a smile spread across her face.</p><p> </p><p>15 minutes later and their dinner had arrived. There were two pizzas—a Hawaiian and a create-your-own.</p><p>"Come on, let's dig in!" Anna said, opening the boxes. "I recommend eating the Hawaiian first before the other one."</p><p>"What's the other one?"</p><p>"It's what I like to call the Anna special," she said proudly.</p><p>Elsa cocked her head. "The Anna special?"</p><p>"Trust me, it's good. But first, let's eat the Hawaiian! Do you have any plates?"</p><p>"Sure, let me go get them." Elsa walked over to the cabinet and returned with two plates. "Here we go," she said as she set them down on the counter.</p><p>"Thanks. Here, you can have the first slice." Anna placed a piece of Hawaiian onto one of the plates and handed it to Elsa.</p><p>"Mmm, looks good," Elsa said, moving the plate in front of her.</p><p>"Yup! They make the dough fresh every day." Anna was just about to give herself a slice when she saw something shiny from the corner of her eye. "Is that…a fork and knife?" she asked, her eyes growing big.</p><p>"Yeah. Did you want a fork and knife too?"</p><p>"Oh, nono, that's not what I mean. I've just never seen anyone eat pizza with those kinds of utensils before," Anna said. "Personally, I'm more of a hands kind of person. Not that I have anything against forks and knives! They're great, for like steak and stuff."</p><p>"It's just something that I've always done, I guess," Elsa said, a slight tinge of pink on her cheeks.</p><p>"Sorry, I didn't mean to make things awkward." Anna grabbed a piece of Hawaiian pizza and placed it on her plate. "Actually, now that I think about it, it's kind of cool. It's almost like you're eating steak but it's a piece of pizza. But anyway, enough about that—give the food a try!"</p><p>Elsa carefully cut the pizza into bite-sized pieces; she then placed one of them into her mouth with the elegance of a queen. "Mmmm, you're right. This is delicious."</p><p>"Right? Glad you like it!" Anna popped the end of her own slice into her mouth. "Itdas jusa ritamount ob hanund panuble."</p><p>"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that."</p><p>"I said, it has just the right amount of ham and pineapple," Anna repeated, this time without anything in her mouth. "Sorry, I have a bad habit of talking while I'm eating."</p><p>"It's okay, I don't mind."</p><p>"But yeah, you really can't go wrong with a Hawaiian," Anna continued as she took another bite. "Wait till you try the other one, though. It's my favorite."</p><p>Curious, Elsa leaned in to examine the other pizza. "Is that…chocolate?" she asked, her eyes widening in realization.</p><p>"It sure is!" Anna chirped.</p><p>"And it's a pizza?"</p><p>"Yup! It's what they call a dessert pizza. That's why I told you to eat the Hawaiian one first!"</p><p>"I've never heard of anything like that before. I'll give it a try." Elsa slid a slice onto her empty plate. Apparently, she had finished her Hawaiian pizza even faster than Anna.</p><p>"It's a little sweet with the chocolate on top but I think you'll like it," Anna said.</p><p>Elsa stared at the pizza briefly before cutting it into small pieces, one of which went into her mouth.</p><p>"Well, how is it?"</p><p>"It's…interesting," Elsa said, covering her mouth with one hand. "It almost feels like I'm eating a cookie."</p><p>"You don't like it?"</p><p>"I've never had anything like this before. It's very…unique."</p><p>"You don't like it!"</p><p>"What? No, I didn't say that." Elsa looked as if she'd just been convicted of a crime.</p><p>"I'm just playing around," Anna teased, grabbing a slice of chocolate pizza. She had planned on eating it later but now that Elsa was eating it in front of her, she couldn't resist. "It's okay if you don't like it, I know it's probably not everyone's thing."</p><p>"No, I like it," Elsa said as she took another bite.</p><p>"If you say so!"</p><p>In the end, Anna ate three slices of pizza while Elsa ate two. Anna had urged her to eat more but she'd politely declined, having mentioned something about carbohydrates that went right over her head.</p><p>"What are we going to do about the rest?" Anna asked with one hand over her stomach. She'd eaten so much, she was sure that her waistline went up a size.</p><p>"You can take it home with you," Elsa said, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "I won't be able to finish it by myself anyway."</p><p>"You sure that's okay?"</p><p>"It's all yours."</p><p>"Thanks. I'll save it for tomorrow. I might even share some with Punzie or Kristoff if I'm feeling generous."</p><p>Elsa gave a small laugh. "Good idea."</p><hr/><p>By the time she'd gotten back to her room, it was well past nine o'clock. Elsa had been nice enough to offer her a ride so she wouldn't have to walk home, something that she was grateful for seeing as how she would have had to lug the pizza boxes with her.</p><p>Now that she was home, however, she could feel herself slipping into a food coma. If anything, she pretty much had to drag herself through the door. Taking her shoes off as she stepped inside, she placed the pizza in her fridge and plopped down on her bed. Just as she was able to close her eyes and drift off, however, her phone buzzed.</p><p><em>Elsa? </em>She grabbed her phone and looked at the incoming call. <em>Oh, it's just Rapunzel</em>. She gave the device a tap and pressed it against her ear.</p><p>"Punzie?" She stifled a yawn.</p><p>"So? How was it?"</p><p>"How was what?" she asked, confused.</p><p>"What else? Your skating lesson with Elsa! It was today, wasn't it?"</p><p>"Oh, yeah, it was good. I fell way more than I wanted to but it was fun. The skating, not the falling." Anna was starting to feel more awake now that she had someone to talk to.</p><p>"Soo…you're going to continue the lessons?"</p><p>"Yup, I told her that once we got back to her apartment. Actually, I just came back a few minutes ago."</p><p>"Wait, you went back to Elsa's apartment?" Anna could hear the surprise in Rapunzel's voice.</p><p>"Punzie, it's not what you're thinking. The only reason I went was because I hurt my leg and needed first aid."</p><p>"She gave you first aid?"</p><p>"Yeah. She had a kit and everything. Even gave me a bandaid." She gave her leg a quick glance.</p><p>"And? What else? Don't tell me you guys just did first aid the entire time."</p><p>"We ordered pizza. From that place with the two for one deal? You've tried it before. Anyway, I got her to try the chocolate one. She seemed to like it, I think."</p><p>"You made her eat that weird abomination?"</p><p>"Hey! It tastes good, okay? Besides, I did also order a Hawaiian." Anna shifted her phone to her other ear. "Oh, and guess what? She ate the pizza with a fork and knife!"</p><p>"You should learn a thing or two from her. Then you won't have to deal with greasy fingers all the time!"</p><p>"I have nothing against greasy fingers. Besides, it's nothing a little soap and water can't fix!" Anna looked at her hands briefly before speaking into the phone again. "Oh, and I have some pizza for you. We couldn't finish it all so I took home the leftovers."</p><p>"I'll pass on the abomination but I'll be happy to take some Hawaiian. I'll swing by and get it tomorrow."</p><p>"Sure, it'll be waiting for you in the fridge."</p><p>"I'm glad that it worked out for you, though. Wait till I tell Kristoff!"</p><p>The sudden change of topic confused Anna. "<em>What </em>worked out for me?"</p><p>"You know, you and Elsa. You have a thing for her, don't you?"</p><p>"Wait, what!?" Anna lifted her head from the bed so fast, she thought her neck was going to snap in half. "Where did you get that from?!"</p><p>"I could tell from the way you were acting the other day. It was totally obvious. Don't worry, though, it's not like I'm going to tell Elsa or anything."</p><p>"But—"</p><p>"Come on now, there's no need to be shy about it!"</p><p>Anna was lost for words. <em>She</em> has a crush on Elsa? Is that what Rapunzel is saying? Sure, she liked the idea of spending time with Elsa but that's just because they're friends now, right? It's not like she has a thing for her or anything. But then again, why <em>did </em>she feel nervous around her sometimes? Was Rapunzel right? Did she have a crush on Elsa? Oh boy, she was <em>not </em>expecting something like this...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anna's weekend wasn't very productive; most of it was spent staring at her phone. She was waiting—waiting for a message from Elsa. After all, she said that she would text her. So when the message didn't come, she started to panic. The fact that she apparently had a crush on her didn't help either. If anything, it just made things more complicated. On one hand, she couldn't wait to talk to Elsa again. On the other hand, she knew that it was only a matter of time before she'd slip up and give her feelings away.</p><p>That didn't stop her from wanting to see Elsa again, though. In fact, that was the exact reason why she's crouched behind a bench right now—a bench near a certain coffee shop on campus. Body curled forward, she was just low enough so that her head was hidden by the seat. The peculiar pose had earned her a few odd looks from passing students but she didn't care; she needed to know whether or not a certain blonde was working today. Eyes focused beyond the glass doors, she had no idea that someone was approaching her from behind. </p><p>"Okay, do I even want to know what you're doing?" A familiar voice called out.</p><p>"Kristoff!" Anna exclaimed as she turned around, eyes wide in shock. Wh-what are you doing here?"</p><p>"Excuse me, but that's <em>my </em>line," Kristoff said, folding his arms. "You planning on robbing that coffee shop or something? Cause that's what it looks like with all that creepy staring."</p><p>"What? N-no! Of course not!"</p><p>"Okay then, what <em>are </em>you doing?" Kristoff raised a brow.</p><p>"I'm just, you know, doing some human observation," Anna lied.</p><p>"Riiiight. And why can't you just go inside the shop?"</p><p>"Well, it's a funny story actually—"</p><p>"I got it!" Kristoff exclaimed, snapping his fingers in the air. "It's about Elsa, isn't it? Now that I think about it, Rapunzel <em>did </em>mention something about a coffee shop…"</p><p>"Wait, what? What did she tell you?!"</p><p>"Enough to know why you're hiding behind a bench," Kristoff smirked. "Come on, let's go. I'll be your moral support."</p><p>"G-go? Go where?" Anna stammered.</p><p>"Where else? To the coffee shop, of course!"</p><p>"But I don't even know if she's working—"</p><p>"Well, there's only one way to find out." Kristoff jerked his head toward the store. "C'mon, chop-chop."</p><p>"Fine," Anna mumbled as she got up to her feet.</p><p>She didn't want to admit it but she was relieved at Kristoff's offer; it meant that she wouldn't have to go inside by herself, something that she'd been dreading. It was weird, the idea of seeing Elsa again just made her so nervous. Have things really changed that much over the past 48 hours? So what if she <em>might </em>have a crush on her? That's not a big deal, right?</p><p>"Oh Anna, what would you ever do without me?" Kristoff said, a tinge of smugness in his voice. He sauntered over to the shop and waited for Anna to catch up before opening the door. "Ladies first."</p><p>Anna walked in and was immediately met with the familiar scent of coffee. She didn't have time to revel in the smell, however, for she was on a mission. Stepping up toward the front, her eyes scanned the counter for any signs of the blonde. To her disappointment, however, there was only one employee working, and it was a man; the same burly man that she'd seen last time.</p><p>"She's not here…" she mumbled.</p><p>"You know what? Here, lemme help you out." Kristoff took a few steps and made his way to the cashier.</p><p>
  <em>Wait. What is he doing? No, he couldn't be—</em>
</p><p>"Hey there! My friend here is looking for Elsa," he said, gesturing toward Anna. "Do you happen to know if she's working today?"</p><p>Anna wanted to bury her face in her hands. How did she not see this coming? It was such a Kristoff thing to do.</p><p>Fortunately for her, however, the man seemed to remember her from last time. "Oh, you're Elsa's friend!" he exclaimed. "She just went to grab something but I'll let her know you're here once she's back, ya? Why don't you have a seat?"</p><p>Before Anna could even say anything, Kristoff had answered for them. "Don't mind if we do! We'll just grab a seat over there." He pointed to a table by the wall.</p><p>"Kristoff!"</p><p>"You want to talk to her, right? How are you going to do that if you just waltz out of the shop?" he whispered. "C'mon, let's go." He placed his hands on Anna's shoulders and guided her toward the table.</p><p>"I-I was just going to give her back her gloves," Anna said as she reluctantly sat down. "She lent them to me the other day during our lesson."</p><p>"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask. How <em>was </em>the lesson? Rapunzel said you fell a lot," Kristoff said, seating himself beside her.</p><p>"Well, she's not completely wrong," Anna said. "I did learn how to do swizzles, though!"</p><p>"Good for you, kiddo!" Kristoff reached up and ruffled her hair playfully. "And would you look at that? It looks like your friend has arrived."</p><p>Anna gulped. Elsa—the girl that she'd come to see—was walking straight toward their table. What should she do? Should she say hi? Should she smile and wave? How did she interact with her before?</p><p>"Just act natural," Kristoff whispered in her ear.</p><p><em>Right. I just have to act natural</em>.</p><p>"Hi, Anna. Oaken said you were looking for me?" Elsa said, placing a cup of something on the table.</p><p>"Oh! Yeah. I uh, wanted to give you back your gloves." Anna reached her hand into her bag and pulled out the black garments. "I washed them so they smell really good now! Not that they were stinky before, but now they're clean. Really clean. Anyway, um, here!" She held them out to Elsa, who seemed slightly amused by her rambling.</p><p>
  <em>Yup, that was definitely natural. Good job, Anna.</em>
</p><p>"You came all this way just to deliver them? Thanks." Elsa took the gloves and put them in her pocket. With that out of the way, her attention turned to the man sitting next to Anna.</p><p>"Oh, umm, I don't think I've introduced myself yet! I'm Kristoff," he said, reaching his hand out for a handshake. "I'm one of Anna's BFFs. It's nice to finally meet you."</p><p>"Nice to meet you, Kristoff," she said, taking his hand into hers.</p><p>"The pleasure's all mine."</p><p>"Oh, and that mocha is for you, Anna. I thought you might like it." Elsa gestured toward the drink on the table.</p><p>"What? It's for me?" Anna felt her heart beat a little faster. "Thanks." She took the cup into her hand and took a few sips. <em>Mmmm…it's delicious.</em></p><p>"And you Kristoff? What would you like? I can make you something as well."</p><p>"Oh, please, don't mind me," Kristoff said. "I'm just here for moral support."</p><p>Elsa looked at him, confused.</p><p>"Just ignore him. He's always weird like that," Anna laughed nervously. "Anyway, why don't you have a seat? It doesn't seem right that we're the only ones sitting."</p><p>"Right," Elsa said as she lowered herself into a chair. "I'm actually on break right now so it's nice to have someone to talk to."</p><p>"Glad to have you with us," Kristoff said with a grin. "So, how was it—teaching this kiddo?"</p><p>Anna sank down in her seat and resisted the urge to groan. <em>Why is this feeling so much like a parent-teacher conference?</em></p><p>"The lesson went great. Anna's a very quick learner." Elsa turned to face Anna and for a second, azure eyes met teal ones.</p><p>"Nono, that's not true!" Anna exclaimed, a little too enthusiastically. "Elsa's just a great teacher, that's all."</p><p>"I mean, It's pretty amazing. This girl here pretty much had zero interest in skating," Kristoff said, pointing a finger at Anna. "I literally had to beg her to go to the rink with me. But now? I think she's actually starting to enjoy it."</p><p>"Speaking of which, about the lessons—" Elsa began.</p><p>Anna squared her shoulders. <em>Uh oh. Is she going to fire me as her student? Is that what she's going to do? </em>Somehow, her brain had convinced her that that was what's going to happen.</p><p>"I can do next Tuesday at 6 pm if that works for you."</p><p>
  <em>Huh?</em>
</p><p>"…You mean, you're not firing me?" Anna asked.</p><p>Elsa furrowed her brows in confusion.</p><p>"Uhh…I mean, yes. Tuesday. Tuesday would be great, actually," she sputtered without giving her schedule a second thought. She'll just check it later.</p><p>"Anna," Elsa let out a small chuckle. "Why would you think that I'd be firing you?"</p><p>Anna wanted to melt herself into the ground. "I uh, didn't get a message…so I thought that maybe…you changed your mind and didn't want to teach me anymore," Anna confessed, her cheeks growing hotter with every second. "But that was silly of me! I mean, you have things to do too, after all. Maybe we should just pretend that never happened. Ye-yeah, let's do that." She took a sip of her mocha and prayed that it would calm her down.</p><p>"Wow, you're right, that <em>is </em>silly," Kristoff said, stifling a laugh.</p><p>"Hey! You be quiet!" Anna nudged him with her elbow.</p><p>"Oh, Anna," Elsa said, a hint of guilt in her voice. "I'm sorry. I didn't get a chance to confirm the schedule until this morning. I meant to text you about it later today."</p><p>Anna shook her head so fast she thought it might come off. "Nono, it's totally my fault for overthinking things." Obviously, this "having a crush on Elsa thing" was messing around with her brain—not that it worked well before, but still.</p><p>Fortunately, Kristoff was there to change the topic of their conversation. "I heard that you're a pretty good skater," he said, glancing at Elsa. "You're competitive, right?"</p><p>Anna's ears perked up at the question; she wouldn't mind learning a thing or two about Elsa.</p><p>Elsa nodded. "I'm competing as a senior."</p><p>"Ah, that explains it," Kristoff said. "I heard that you're working on your triple axel."</p><p>"I am…actually," Elsa said, her eyebrows raised slightly. "But how did you know?"</p><p>"Oh, I heard it from someone at the rink. I play hockey so I'm kind of there a lot."</p><p>Anna furrowed her brows at the unknown terminology that was being thrown around. <em>Senior? Triple axel? </em>What were they talking about? And how is it that Kristoff is able to carry a better conversation with Elsa than her? That's so unfair.</p><p>"Umm…what are you guys talking about?" Anna asked, putting her mocha down on the table. "And what's a triple axel?"</p><p>"A triple axel is a figure skating jump where you have to do three and a half rotations in the air," Kristoff explained. "It's also one of the hardest. Not many people can do it."</p><p>Anna fixed her eyes on Kristoff. When did <em>he</em> become an expert on figure skating? And why didn't he tell her that Elsa was practicing this…triple axel thing?</p><p>"I'm afraid it's still a work in progress," Elsa said, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I've managed to land it once, but I haven't been able to do it lately."</p><p>"But still, that's amazing! I mean, three and a half rotations? That's like, a lot," Anna exclaimed, a little calmer now that they were talking about something else. "I don't think I've ever seen you do it before, though."</p><p>"I usually just practice my footwork," Elsa explained. "Sometimes I'll do a few small jumps and spins here and there, but I mostly train during my free skate sessions."</p><p>Anna widened her eyes. The spectacular display of acrobatics that she saw was <em>small</em>? Then what on earth would be considered big?</p><p>"How much training do you usually do?" Kristoff asked.</p><p>"It depends on my school schedule, but I try to do three hours a day. Two in the morning and one in the afternoon or evening."</p><p>"Three hours?!" Anna's jaw practically fell to the ground. "And you <em>still </em>have time to work part-time?"</p><p>"Yeah," Elsa said. "Unfortunately, ice time can be expensive."</p><p>Anna knew that Elsa was amazing but this was just on a whole different level. How can someone go to school, have a part-time job, <em>and </em>train for three hours a day, all at once? She could barely complete her reading assignments on time and she didn't even have anything going on after class!</p><p>"Oh trust me, I know," Kristoff said with a nod. "As much as I'd like to continue with this conversation, though, I'm afraid I gotta go. I have a class in ten minutes and it's on the other end of campus."</p><p>"What? Have we been talking for that long already?" Anna gave her phone a glance before looking back up at Kristoff. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go! I wouldn't want to be the reason that you're late for class!"</p><p>Kristoff gave them a quick smile before flinging his backpack over his shoulder. "Alright, I'll catch you girls later! It was nice meeting you again, Elsa."</p><p>"Likewise."</p><p>"See ya later!"</p><p>Now that her moral support was gone, Anna was left with Elsa all by herself. To her surprise, however, she wasn't nearly as nervous as she was before. Guess it was a good idea to have Kristoff come with her, after all.</p><p>"Are you still okay for your break?" Anna asked.</p><p>"Yeah, it's no problem, I still have ten minutes."</p><p>"Oh, that's great!" Anna contemplated for a second on what to say next. "So, umm, how was your weekend?"</p><p>"It was good. I went to the rink for practice and worked on an assignment that I had for class. How was yours?"</p><p>"Umm, mine was good too. It wasn't nearly as productive as yours but yeah, I enjoyed it," she lied. Under no circumstances was she going to tell Elsa that she spent her entire weekend staring at her phone.</p><p>"Did you end up finishing the pizza?"</p><p>"Oh, I did, actually! I ended up giving some of the Hawaiian to Punzie," Anna said. "The chocolate one, however, I may or may not have devoured myself."</p><p>"Oh?"</p><p>"What can I say? I like sweet things!" Anna laughed. She felt more at ease now that they were talking about food.</p><p>Elsa smiled. "That you do." </p><p>"I'm glad that you're working today, though. I wasn't sure whether or not I'd run into you," Anna said, finishing her mocha.</p><p>"I'm glad that you came too. There's actually something that I wanted to ask you."</p><p>Anna leaned in instinctively. "What is it?"</p><p>"I was wondering if you wanted to go somewhere with me."</p>
<hr/><p>Elsa was going to take her somewhere. Anna had no idea where, but that didn't matter; the thought of going somewhere together was enough to make her want to squeal. In fact, it was all that she could think about for the past few days. She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't a little bit nervous, but hey, you only live once—at least, that's what she's been telling herself. And besides, it's not like it's a date or anything.</p><p>"So, where are we going?" Anna asked after having stared out the window for several minutes. She thought that she might be able to recognize some of the streets but nope, she still had zero clue as to where they were headed.</p><p>"You'll know once we get there," Elsa replied as she turned into a smaller street.</p><p>"You're not taking me to an abandoned warehouse somewhere, right?" She figured that she'd ask just in case.</p><p>"Of course not," Elsa laughed.</p><p>"Okay, good. But then again, you never did strike me as a kidnapping kind of person," Anna joked.</p><p>Elsa gave a small chuckle as she pulled into a plaza. The parking lot wasn't very full so she had no problem finding a spot. In fact, there were probably more empty spaces than vehicles, which wasn't surprising, given that it was a Thursday. They were only able to come today because both of their classes were in the morning. That, and it was Elsa's day off at the coffee shop.</p><p>"And we're here." Elsa took off her seatbelt before clambering out of the vehicle. "See that shop over there? That's where we're going to go." She pointed at a store in the corner; it was slightly run-down with yellow paint that most likely had been white at some point.</p><p>Anna narrowed her eyes as she made out the letters on the sign. "Kai's…Skate Shop?"</p><p>"Yeah." Elsa opened the trunk and took out an overstuffed bag. "I thought that maybe you'd like to check it out seeing as how you're going to be a skater," she said, smiling.</p><p>A skater. Anna liked the sound of that. It was just a word, but it made her feel that much more connected to Elsa. After all, it <em>was</em> the sport that'd brought them together in the first place. Maybe one day, she'll even be able to do spins and stuff with Elsa on the ice. Wouldn't that be nice…</p><p>"Anna?" The voice shook her out of her reverie.</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>"Sorry," Elsa said. "You must think I'm a boring person to bring you to a skate shop."</p><p>Apparently, Elsa had taken her silence as a sign of boredom. "What? That's not true!" Anna exclaimed. "I've never been to one before so I don't know what to expect but it has to be cool since you're the one who brought me here!"</p><p>"Hopefully, it'll live up to your expectations," Elsa chuckled, beckoning for Anna to follow her. "Come on, let's go."</p><p>The two made their way into the shop, which was much larger than what it looked like from the outside; there were racks of clothing and shelves of bags, tights, and other accessories. The thing that grabbed Anna's attention, however, was the dresses. There were blue ones, red ones, purple ones, and they all had copious amounts of glitter or gemstones; it was as if they were all trying to outcompete each other for being the sparkliest on the rack.</p><p>"Kai?" Elsa called out.</p><p>Seconds later and a man emerged from what appeared to be a room at the back of the store.</p><p>"Elsa! I thought I might see you this week," he said, placing his hand on Elsa's shoulder. "How's it going?"</p><p>"My blades have gotten dull again," Elsa said with somewhat of a sheepish smile. "Can you sharpen them for me?"</p><p>"What? Didn't I just sharpen them for you two weeks ago? You must be practicing up a storm!"</p><p>"I'm not sure about that…"</p><p>Anna looked at the man before looking back at Elsa. "Sharpen the blades?" she asked, tilting her head.</p><p>"Oh! And this is?" Kai turned around and looked at Anna with anticipating eyes.</p><p>"This is Anna," Elsa said. "She's my…friend."</p><p>There was a brief pause before she said "friend" and Anna wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Should she be happy that Elsa referred to her as a friend? Or sad that she paused before saying the word? She wasn't sure.</p><p>"Hi," she greeted meekly.</p><p>"Hi Anna, It's very nice to meet you!" Kai clapped his hands together before turning his attention back to Elsa. "As for your skates, I can get them done for you in about ten minutes." </p><p>"Thanks," Elsa said as she made her way to the back counter. Putting her bag down, she opened the zipper and took out her skates—the same ones that Anna saw her put on and take off the other day. Instead of blades, however, there were these scrunchie-like things on the bottom.</p><p>"What are those?" Anna asked, curiosity tinging her voice.</p><p>"Oh, these are soakers." Elsa brought her hands to the bottom of the skates and took them off for Anna to see. "They keep the blades dry and protect them from nicks and scratches when they're in my bag."</p><p>"Oh, I see," Anna said, eyes shifting to the blade that was now in the open. She hadn't noticed it before, but the toepicks on Elsa's skates were massive. Like, really big. Like, she could probably use them as a weapon if she ever got followed down a dark alleyway.</p><p>"Elsa! Those toepicks…they're huge. You could kill someone with those!"</p><p>"Yeah, they are kind of big," Elsa laughed. "But hopefully I'll never have to use them for something like that." She slid the soaker back on the blade and pushed the skates toward Kai, who had reappeared on the other side of the counter. "Anyway, let's have a look around."</p><p>With a nod, Anna began to walk around the store. There were several things that she wanted to check out, such as the fancy dresses that she saw earlier, but it was a display of figure skates that she found herself walking up toward. It was weird, seeing so much of them in one place; she'd never even seen one up close before until a few days ago. Curious as to how much they would cost, she looked down at the price list—and her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. She had a feeling that they wouldn't be cheap but she wasn't expecting numbers like these. Most, if not all of them were hundreds of dollars! Some even came close to the four-digit range. That's a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches!</p><p>"Anna," Elsa called from the other side of the shop. "Come take a look at this."</p><p>Shaking herself out of her trance, she walked over to Elsa, who was standing in front of the glove section.</p><p>"What is it?" Anna asked.</p><p>"I thought that maybe you'd like some gloves," Elsa said, motioning toward the garments on the shelf.</p><p>"Oh!" Anna stepped up to have a better look. She'd never seen so many different kinds of gloves before. Some even had gemstones glued to the back! But it was a certain black pair that caught her attention. "These—these are the ones that you have!" Anna said, reaching for the gloves. "The ones with the snowflake."</p><p>Elsa seemed surprised that she pointed that out. "Yeah, I got mine here," she said.</p><p>"I think I'll get these."</p><p>"Are you sure? They have other designs too."</p><p>"Yeah. I really like this snowflake." It wasn't a lie. She really <em>did </em>like the snowflake—but she liked the idea of them wearing the same gloves even more. She wasn't going to say that to Elsa, though.</p><p>"Here, give them to me," Elsa said, reaching out her hands.</p><p>Anna blinked. "Did you want a pair too?" she asked, handing her the gloves.</p><p>"Oh, no, I meant that I'll get them for you."</p><p>"Wait, what?"</p><p>"As thanks for the pizza last time."</p><p>"But I thought that we already settled that—"</p><p>"Just think of it as a gift."</p><p>"But…" Anna paused for a few seconds. "Are you sure?"</p><p>Elsa gave her a nod.</p><p>Anna bit back the tiny smile that was forming on her lips. "Thanks."</p><p>Just as they were about to walk back to the counter for Elsa's skates, the bells on the front door jingled, indicating the arrival of another customer. That didn't matter to Anna, though. After all, they were pretty much done here anyway—at least, that's what she thought.</p><p>"Elsa?" A man's voice echoed through the shop; the same man that had just walked in through the door.</p><p>"Marshall?" Elsa said, her voice rising up a pitch.</p><p>The man closed the distance between them with a few slow strides. "It's nice to see you again, Elsa," he said, shifting the figure skates that were in his arms. "How many months has it been? Four months? Five months?"</p><p>"It's been four and a half months," Elsa replied after what seemed like a few seconds of hesitation.</p><p>"And how is your leg?" the man asked.</p><p>"It's…better now. I've actually returned to the ice."</p><p>"Ah, always the hardworking one. Well, don't practice too hard, okay?"</p><p>Elsa gave a silent nod.</p><p>With that, the man made his way to the back of the shop.</p><p>"Who was that?" Anna asked, unable to hold back her curiosity.</p><p>A sad and wistful smile seemed to tug at Elsa's lips. "That was my old figure skating coach…the one that I fired."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A/N: I lied. I finished the chapter earlier than expected so yeah, here it is...and it's right on time for the long weekend! Hope everyone is staying safe :D</p>
<hr/>
<p>Elsa's words echoed in her mind. <em>So that was her old figure skating coach…No wonder they seemed to know each other.</em> And from the few words that they'd exchanged, it was obvious that they had somewhat of a strained relationship, which made sense given what Elsa had told her. <em>But why did she fire him…? </em>Anna wanted so much to ask for the details but she stopped herself as soon as she noticed Elsa's face; her eyes were cast downward and her brows were knitted together ever so slightly. Anna was no psychologist but even she could tell when someone didn't want to talk about something.</p>
<p>So she decided to change the topic. "Do you want to go grab something to eat?" she asked after buckling herself into her seat. They hadn't spent much time in the skate shop but it was well past lunchtime and her stomach could use a little something.</p>
<p>"Oh…sure," Elsa said, her lips giving in to a smile. If anything, it almost looked as if she was relieved by Anna's question.</p>
<p>"Great! Cause I'm actually starving." Anna gave a small laugh. "Do you know any good places around here? If you don't, that's totally okay, I can just search on my phone—"</p>
<p>"Sushi."</p>
<p>"Huh?"</p>
<p>"I know a good sushi restaurant that's nearby if you're interested."</p>
<p>"Oh, sure. I like sushi!" Anna exclaimed a bit too loudly.</p>
<p>"It's not too far. We should get there in about ten minutes."</p>
<p>"That sounds good to me. Let's go get some lunch!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>Anna thought that they'd be going to a small sushi joint but nope. The restaurant that Elsa brought her to was pretty much the epitome of upscale; the lights looked as if they were framed with gold and there were fresh flowers on each table. It made her feel a little inadequate, to say the least. After all, she wasn't exactly well dressed in her t-shirt and jeans.</p>
<p>"I thought you said we were going to a sushi restaurant," Anna whispered as they walked inside.</p>
<p>"Yeah, this is a sushi restaurant," Elsa replied matter-of-factly.</p>
<p>
  <em>Okay, she obviously has different standards when it comes to sushi restaurants…</em>
</p>
<p>Their server led them to one of the booths by the wall and handed them their menus. Flipping it open, Anna's eyes immediately went toward the prices. And to her surprise, they weren't nearly as exorbitant as she'd thought. The food was pricey, yes, but she'd still be able to afford them without having to go to the back and wash the dishes.</p>
<p>"I recommend their salmon and tuna sashimi," Elsa said.</p>
<p>"Ooh, okay, I'll try some of that!" Anna exclaimed, holding the menu closer to her face. "And a miso soup, Alaska roll, chicken yakisoba, and ooh, maybe some prawn tempura!" Her wallet won't be too happy about it but at least her stomach will.</p>
<p>Elsa chuckled softly. "Are you sure you'll be able to finish it all?"</p>
<p>"Probably?" Anna said sheepishly, tilting her head to one side. "Actually, you know what? Maybe I'll hold off on the tempura. Saturated fats and all."</p>
<p>"Good choice," Elsa replied with a laugh.</p>
<p>A short chat later and their food had arrived. Unlike Anna, Elsa only ordered two things—a small sashimi platter and a seafood salad, the latter of which was apparently her favorite thing on the menu.</p>
<p>"Here, try some of my Alaska roll!" Anna said, holding the dish in front of Elsa.</p>
<p>"Thanks." Elsa took a piece of the roll and placed it on her plate. "You can try some of my salad too."</p>
<p>"Oh, sure." To be honest, Anna wasn't much of a salad fan. If she could, she would have declined, but she wasn't about to say no to Elsa. After all, she <em>was </em>the one who'd invited her out in the first place. That, and she didn't want her to know that she was a picky eater.</p>
<p>"Here, take as much as you'd like." Elsa gestured toward the bowl in front of her.</p>
<p>And that's when Anna remembered. She'd totally forgotten about it but they were at a sushi restaurant, which meant that there would be chopsticks and she had no idea how to use chopsticks.</p>
<p>"Anna?"</p>
<p>"Oh, sorry! It's just that…well, I'm not uh, very good with chopsticks," Anna said, rubbing the back of her neck.</p>
<p>"Should I ask for a fork?"</p>
<p>"Oh, no, it's okay! I can umm…probably figure it out. I just need to concentrate, that's all." The last thing that she wanted was for Elsa to think that she was incapable of using such an eating utensil.</p>
<p>"Here, try holding them like this." Elsa held up her pair of chopsticks for Anna to see.</p>
<p>Anna tried her best to mimic what Elsa was doing but she quickly realized that it was a lost cause. Not only was she unable to pick up any food, but her fingers also started to cramp up after a while, which made the task even harder.</p>
<p>So in the end, she got a fork. It cost her a bit of her dignity but at least now she'll be able to eat the food in front of her.</p>
<p>"Here, have some of the salmon as well," Elsa said, dropping a few pieces onto Anna's plate, which was now filled with green veggies.</p>
<p>Anna muttered a "thanks" before stuffing one of them into her mouth. "Mmmm…you're right! It <em>is </em>delicious!"</p>
<p>"My parents know the owner so we've been here a few times. I've always been fond of their sashimi."</p>
<p>"Well, they must be well-off then because this place is <em>fancy</em>!"</p>
<p>"Is it? I thought it's pretty standard," Elsa said as she looked around the restaurant.</p>
<p>"Oh trust me, normal sushi places do <em>not </em>look like this," Anna said, laughing.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>A little over ten minutes later and they'd finished all of their food. Everything was delicious, including the salad that Anna had been apprehensive about earlier. All that's left now was to pay the bill. Despite that, however, neither of them asked for the check; it was as if they both wanted to sit beside each other for just a bit longer.</p>
<p>"…About what happened earlier," Elsa began. "I'm sorry if things became awkward. That wasn't my intention."</p>
<p>The sudden apology caught Anna by surprise. "Wait, what are you talking about?"</p>
<p>"When we were at the skate shop and we ran into my old coach," Elsa said. "I wasn't expecting to see him there, so I kind of froze."</p>
<p>"Oh, no, that's okay! I mean, we all have things going on, after all." For a moment, Anna wondered if Elsa was going to talk about what happened with her coach.</p>
<p>"It just caught me by surprise. I hadn't seen him for a few months."</p>
<p>"And he said something about your leg?" Anna said, shifting the topic to the other thing that she'd been curious about.</p>
<p>"Yeah…" Elsa glanced down at her right leg. "I tore one of the ligaments in my calf. I didn't even know it. There was a slight ache but I just thought that it was from my training so I left it alone. But I ended up needing surgery."</p>
<p>"That's why you were off the ice."</p>
<p>Elsa nodded. "I was off for four and a half months."</p>
<p>"Well, I'm glad you're back on it now."</p>
<p>"Me too," Elsa said with a smile. "I probably wouldn't have met you otherwise."</p>
<p>"Oh." She wasn't expecting an answer like that.</p>
<p>"It might seem silly…but I've never gone out with a friend like this before," Elsa confessed. "It's…nice."</p>
<p>"I like being with you too!" The words had slipped out of her mouth before she knew it. "Oh, I mean, uh, I like it when we spend time together, skating and stuff. It's fun." <em>Wow, control yourself, Anna.</em></p>
<p>"What about Rapunzel and Kristoff?"</p>
<p>"Well, they're fun too but you know, it's different."</p>
<p>"How so?"</p>
<p><em>Because I have a crush on you and not them</em>.</p>
<p>"Uhh…" Anna said, realizing that she might have dug her own grave. "You know what? Why don't we have a small get-together so that you can get to know them better? We can like, play games, or something."</p>
<p>
  <em>Phew. Good save, Anna.</em>
</p>
<p>"Get-together? I'm not sure about that…"</p>
<p>"C'mon! It'll be fun, I promise." It was just a random idea that came to her but the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to do it.</p>
<p>"I'll…think about it."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Are you sure she's coming?" Kristoff asked with his arms crossed behind his head.</p>
<p>The friends had decided to gather at Anna's dorm room for their little get-together; it wasn't very big, but it was enough for them to sit comfortably on the floor. That, and it was the most convenient place. After all, Anna was the only one who didn't have any dormmates.</p>
<p>"I think so. I mean, she didn't say that she was going to come <em>for sure</em> but it's not like she said no either so that probably means she's going to come right? And anyway, it's Saturday!" Anna shrugged her shoulders before stuffing a chocolate bar in her mouth.</p>
<p>"You <em>did</em> tell her that we're meeting at six, right?" Rapunzel placed her hand on her waist and gave Anna a doubtful look. "And by the way, that's your third chocolate bar."</p>
<p>"I did! Told her the address and everything," Anna said. "And hey! I can eat whatever I want! But since you're such a good friend, you can have one too." She gestured toward her snack box.</p>
<p>"Thanks, but no thanks. I don't want to ruin my dinner appetite," Rapunzel said, pointing at the tray that was on the counter. "Remember, I made food."</p>
<p>"Oh, how can we forget?" Kristoff said, rolling his eyes.</p>
<p>"What was it that you made again?" Anna asked. She glanced at the tray and then back at her friend.</p>
<p>"Lasagna. I tried out a new recipe! I just <em>know </em>that it has to be good."</p>
<p>"Uh-huh." Anna exchanged a look with Kristoff. The last time Rapunzel made them food, it was so salty she thought for sure they were going to die from kidney failure. So she wasn't exactly excited about the lasagna, to say the least.</p>
<p>"And you're <em>sure</em> it's edible?" Kristoff asked, narrowing his eyes.</p>
<p>"Hey, what's that supposed to mean!"</p>
<p>Their conversation, however, was cut short by a few knocks at the door; they were so soft, they probably would have missed it if they were talking any louder. "Go get it," Rapunzel mouthed.</p>
<p>"Right." Anna got up from her bed and trotted over to the door. She knew that it could only be one person—Elsa. And she was right. After all, she only knew one platinum blonde and she was standing right in front of her.</p>
<p>"Hi," Elsa greeted.</p>
<p>"W-welcome!" Anna had a feeling that Elsa would come but seeing her here made her feel relieved nonetheless.</p>
<p>"Sorry…practice took a little longer than usual," Elsa said.</p>
<p>"Oh, that's no problem at all! Please, come in!" Anna led her inside the room, which she'd spent two hours cleaning last night.</p>
<p>"It's nice to see you again, Elsa!" Rapunzel said, waving her hand.</p>
<p>"Hey!" Kristoff raised an arm in greeting.</p>
<p>"So, how was practice?" Anna asked, motioning for Elsa to come sit beside her on her bed.</p>
<p>"It was good," Elsa said as she took a seat. "And you have a nice room."</p>
<p>"Oh <em>please</em>, it's nothing compared to your apartment!" Anna exclaimed.</p>
<p>"It's nice and cozy. I like it."</p>
<p>"So, are you hungry?" Rapunzel asked. "I actually made food. Here, help yourself!" She walked over to the lasagna and lifted the piece of tin foil that was on the top.</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh no. I can't let Elsa be her guinea pig. I have to do something.</em>
</p>
<p>"Accctuallly…" Anna said as she slipped her way between Rapunzel and the lasagna. "She's trying to you know, avoid saturated fats so it's probably a better idea if she <em>doesn't </em>eat it."</p>
<p>"Oh, shoot. Really?" Rapunzel brought a hand up to her face. "I'm so sorry. I should have asked first before making something."</p>
<p>"No, actually, I'd be happy to try it," Elsa said as she grabbed herself a paper plate.</p>
<p>"Trust me, you don't want—" Anna began.</p>
<p>But it was too late. Elsa had already placed a piece of lasagna into her mouth.</p>
<p>"So…how is it?" Rapunzel asked, her eyes glowing with excitement.</p>
<p>"Mmm, it's delicious," Elsa said. "I've never had home-cooked lasagna before."</p>
<p>"Wait, it's actually good?" Kristoff stood up and made his way to the counter where they were all standing.</p>
<p>"Jeez, what's that supposed to mean!" Rapunzel said, puffing out her cheeks.</p>
<p>"Well, you don't exactly have a good track record." He plopped a piece of lasagna onto a plate and stuffed a forkful into his mouth. "But dang. Elsa's right. This <em>is </em>good<em>."</em></p>
<p>"What? Lemme try!" Anna said, shoving Kristoff out of the way so that she could help herself to a piece. "…Woah, you're right. It <em>is </em>good."</p>
<p>Rapunzel folded her arms across her chest. "You guys are unbelievable."</p>
<p>And then, to everyone's surprise, Elsa laughed.</p>
<p>"…Elsa?" Anna could hardly believe her eyes; she'd never seen her laugh like that before.</p>
<p>"Great! Now Elsa thinks we're all idiots," Rapunzel said, pinching the bridge of her nose.</p>
<p>"What? No, that's not true," Elsa said, eyes shifting to the ground. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have laughed. It just seemed so…endearing."</p>
<p>"Nono, that's okay!" Anna shook her head. "I'm sure we were all just surprised, that's all. A-anyway! Let's eat?"</p>
<p>The next several minutes were mostly quiet as everyone stuffed their faces, the only exception being Elsa, who had finished before everyone else. Even Kristoff, who usually wrinkled his nose at Rapunzel's cooking, went back for seconds.</p>
<p>"Ugh, I think I ate too much lasagna," Anna said after finishing her last piece. She had managed to eat three plates before bubbles started to rise in her throat.</p>
<p>"Same here." Kristoff let out a burp.</p>
<p>"Hah! See? I told you guys it'd be good." Rapunzel said with a smug smile on her face.</p>
<p>"Now if only you could cook like that every time!" Anna slowly rose from the floor and sat next to Elsa on the bed. "She's usually not that great of a cook," she whispered and it earned her a chuckle from Elsa.</p>
<p>"So, what do you guys want to do now?" Kristoff asked.</p>
<p>"Hmm, how about we play a game?" Rapunzel suggested.</p>
<p>"Oooh! What about Monopoly? We can finish what we started the other day!"</p>
<p>Rapunzel immediately shook her head. "Uh-uh. I refuse to play any more of that 'game'. Don't you remember what happened last time? It turned into a shoutfest!"</p>
<p>"Well, they don't call it the game that ruins friendships for nothing!" Kristoff laughed.</p>
<p>"Okay, fine. We'll play something else." Anna pursed her lips and turned her head toward Elsa. "Do you have any suggestions?"</p>
<p>"Oh, I'm okay with anything, really."</p>
<p>"I know!" Rapunzel exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "Why don't we play Truth or Dare?"</p>
<p>"Wait, <em>what</em>?"</p>
<p>"It'll be fun!" Rapunzel said, giving Anna a discreet nudge with her elbow. "Who knows? We might even get to learn some new things about each other."</p>
<p>"Hmm, I'm okay with that," Kristoff said, his face splitting into a wide grin.</p>
<p>
  <em>Okay, something is definitely up with these two. Since when were they so in tune?</em>
</p>
<p>"What about you, Elsa? Are you okay with Truth or Dare?" Rapunzel asked with a twinkle in her eyes.</p>
<p>"Umm…sure."</p>
<p>"Wait a second! That's not fair, you know she won't say no to you!" Anna protested.</p>
<p>"What is it, Anna?" Rapunzel threw her a provocative gaze. "Not a fan of Truth or Dare? Do you have something to <em>hide</em>?"</p>
<p>"W-what? No!"</p>
<p><em>Yup, they're definitely planning something.</em> She had no idea what but she knew her friends well enough to know that they had something up their sleeves.</p>
<p>"Then it's settled," Kristoff said. "Anna, Elsa, come join us on the floor!"</p>
<p>The two did as they were told and sat across Kristoff and Rapunzel, forming a small circle on the floor.</p>
<p>"Okay, you guys know the drill, right? We'll take turns asking each other. Let's go counterclockwise?" Rapunzel gestured toward her right. "So I'll be asking Anna and Anna, you'll be asking Elsa!"</p>
<p>"I'm good with that. Now, who wants to go first?" Kristoff asked.</p>
<p>Rapunzel volunteered herself with a wave of her hand. "Ooh, I wanna be the one who asks the questions first! Since you know, I <em>was </em>the one who came up with the idea."</p>
<p>Anna sighed. How did she even get herself into this situation? She knew that they were going to play a game or two but Truth or Dare? That's like high school material! And with Elsa? She had a feeling that things were going to turn awkward, fast. And by the look on Elsa's face, she's probably thinking something similar.</p>
<p>"Alright, Anna! Truth or dare?" Rapunzel asked, jolting her out of her thoughts.</p>
<p>"Uhhh…" Anna began, wincing at what was about to come. "Truth?" She really wanted to say "neither" but then she'd be breaking the rules.</p>
<p>"Okay, I've got one," Rapunzel started. "Here it is—do you currently have a crush on anyone?"</p>
<p>Anna blinked. <em>Wait, what. Seriously? That's how she's going to start the game? What is she trying to do? Get me to confess to Elsa right then and there?</em></p>
<p>"…"</p>
<p>"Hellooo? Anna? I just asked you a question!"</p>
<p>It took her a few seconds to formulate a response. "…You can't ask me something like that! That's like, way too personal," Anna protested.</p>
<p>"What are you talking about? That's like the whole purpose of the game," Kristoff chimed in.</p>
<p>"Fine," Anna said, succumbing to her fate now that she'd realized there was no way out. "I uhh…might have a crush on someone. Maybe. Probably." She purposely tried to make it sound vague but it was obvious that everyone knew what she was saying.</p>
<p>"Huh. Very interesting," Kristoff said with a nod.</p>
<p>"Oooh!" Rapunzel said, feigning surprise.</p>
<p><em>So that's what this is all about</em>. <em>No wonder they were so eager to play Truth or Dare. They just wanted to see how Elsa would react to my answer!</em> <em>It was all a ploy to get me to reveal my feelings!</em> <em>Ugh, I should have never agreed to this. But then again, Elsa shouldn't know who I'm talking about, right? </em>Her eyes instinctively shifted to the girl next to her.</p>
<p>"Alright then, it's your turn to ask Elsa!" Rapunzel clapped her hands together excitedly.</p>
<p>"Oh, right…" Anna said as she brushed the bangs off her face. "Okay then, umm, truth…or dare, Elsa?"</p>
<p>There was a brief pause before Elsa replied. "Truth," she said, her voice sounding unsure.</p>
<p>"Okay, uhh…" Anna started, racking her brain for an appropriate question. There were so many things that she wanted to ask, she had no idea where to start. So she decided to ask the first thing that came to her mind. "Why…do you always wear black?" It was actually something that she'd been wondering for a while. Did Elsa have a thing against colors? Did she accidentally ruin all her other clothes while doing the laundry? She needed to know.</p>
<p>"Oh," Elsa said, surprise evident in her voice. "There's no specific reason, really. It's just that my skating outfit happens to be black and well…I wear it a lot."</p>
<p>"So, it's not your favorite color?"</p>
<p>"It isn't, actually. I prefer light blue."</p>
<p>"Oh." Now that she thought about it, her car <em>was </em>light blue.</p>
<p>"Thank you, Anna, for the insightful question," Kristoff said, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Now then, I guess it's my turn. Go ahead, Elsa. Ask away!"</p>
<p>Elsa seemed to hesitate for a second. "Um, Kristoff, Truth or dare?"</p>
<p>"Hmmm, I'm going to go with a dare. It's no fun when everyone picks truths!"</p>
<p>"A dare…" Elsa repeated. Instead of coming up with one, however, she turned around and gave Anna a look that seemed to say, 'help.'</p>
<p>Unable to ignore her plea, Anna leaned over and whispered something into her ear.</p>
<p>"Hey, it's Elsa's turn to come up with something, not yours!" Kristoff pointed out.</p>
<p>"Chillax, I'm just giving her some ideas."</p>
<p>In the end, Elsa dared him to sing a song so he sang one about a reindeer. By the time he was done, the room was filled with a small round of applause. And the next round came and went as well. Rapunzel had picked truth and Kristoff had asked about whether or not she's currently seeing anyone to which she said no.</p>
<p>"…Looks like it's my turn to ask again!" Rapunzel exclaimed.</p>
<p>
  <em>Uh oh. She has that look in her eyes, that can't mean anything good. Is she going to ask me who I have a crush on if I pick truth again? Why do I have a feeling that she's going to do that?</em>
</p>
<p>"Truth or dare, Anna?"</p>
<p>"Uhhh…." Anna turned his gaze toward Kristoff, who gave her a shrug. "…D-dare?" It can't be worse than revealing who her crush was, right?</p>
<p>"Dare, huh?" Rapunzel's lips curled upward as she twirled her hair through her fingers. "Okay then. I dare you…to kiss the person next to you."</p>
<p>Anna's brain pretty much exploded at her words. <em>D-did she just tell me to kiss the person next to me? Because that would be…</em>She looked beside her and was immediately met with a pair of wide, azure eyes. <em>Elsa.</em></p>
<p>"I-I can't do that!"</p>
<p>"Why not?"</p>
<p>"Because! That wouldn't be fair to Elsa."</p>
<p>"You're the one who picked dare," Rapunzel said in a smug voice. "You're okay with it right, Elsa?"</p>
<p>Elsa tugged the sleeve of her black hoodie. "Umm…"</p>
<p>"See? She's obviously uncomfortable with it!"</p>
<p>"Well, I never said that you had to kiss her on the mouth!"</p>
<p>"…"</p>
<p><em>She played me. Punzie played me. </em>She wanted so much to shake some sense into her friend.<em> Why is she even doing this? Does she want to see me suffer? Probably.</em></p>
<p>"We're waiting!" Kristoff said.</p>
<p>Anna could feel everyone's eyes on her. "Fine…I'll do it," she said after a pause. "Sorry, Elsa. I didn't think that she'd be crazy enough to come up with something like this."</p>
<p>"…Don't worry about it. It's just a game, after all."</p>
<p>Was it just Anna or did Elsa's voice waver just a bit?</p>
<p>"Come on, Anna," Rapunzel said. "We don't have all day!"</p>
<p>
  <em>Okay, I'll just kiss her on the cheek. I mean, friends do that sometimes, right? And me and Elsa are totally friends. Yup. There's nothing to it at all. I mean, it's just Truth or Dare. It's no big deal.</em>
</p>
<p>Taking a breath, Anna leaned in and placed a kiss on Elsa's cheek; she could feel her smooth skin against her lips and for a second, the world seemed to stop. The moment was short-lived, however, for there was only so long she could remain in that position. That didn't stop her heart from pounding like crazy, though.</p>
<p>
  <em>I just kissed Elsa.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A/N: Sorry for the delay! But we're back at the ice rink for this chapter :D</p><hr/><p>The weekend came and went. Before she knew it, it was already Tuesday. Fortunately for her, however, time seemed to pass quickly. A few dozes here and there and her morning lecture was over. Not wanting to spend her break alone, she sent Rapunzel a text; she knew her friend's schedule well enough to know that she didn't have class right now. So they decided to meet up for lunch, which honestly, was the least that she could do given what she'd put her through the other day.</p><p>"I still can't believe you made me do that," Anna said, pursing her lips.</p><p>"What?" Rapunzel said innocently. "I was just trying to help. Cause knowing you, nothing will ever happen between you two."</p><p>"I'm not sure if getting someone to confess that they have a crush <em>in front of </em>their crush counts as helping, Punzie," Anna said, taking a bite out of her sandwich. "And…y-you made me kiss her!" Just thinking about it made her cheeks grow hot.</p><p>"Psh! Like I said, it's just a game. And besides, it's not like you kissed her on the lips or anything."</p><p>"Still! Ugh, she probably hates me now. I mean, I'm pretty sure that wasn't what she was expecting when I told her to come over," Anna said.</p><p>"Just relax, okay? Everything will be fine."</p><p>"It better be, or I might just have to reconsider our friendship," Anna said, half-jokingly.</p><p>"Oh, I'm confident that that won't happen," Rapunzel said, twirling the fork that was in her hand. "If anything, you'll <em>thank </em>me for what I did later."</p><p>"Riiight," Anna said, purposely dragging out the word. "But ahh, how am I supposed to face her later?"</p><p>"Later?"</p><p>Anna nodded. "I have my skating lesson with her in a few hours."</p><p>"Ohh. But haven't you guys talked since the weekend?"</p><p>"Ummm, not really."</p><p>"Oh. Well then," Rapunzel started. "I wish you the best of luck."</p><p>"Jeez, thanks Punzie."</p><hr/><p>Anna's lesson wasn't until six but she figured that she'd get there earlier just in case. No way was she going to risk being late again; running to the rink once was enough. But never did she imagine that she'd arrive <em>so </em>early. Even after lining up and paying for her admission, it was only quarter past five, which meant that there was still forty-five minutes before the session. <em>What am I going to do till then?</em> <em>Elsa's probably not going to be here for a while….</em></p><p>But she was wrong. Because Elsa was right there, on the ice, practicing her jumps. And she wasn't the only one either; there were several other skaters. How everyone managed to jump without colliding with one another, she had no idea. <em>This must be one of those practice sessions that Elsa was talking about last time.</em></p><p>Sitting down on one of the benches, Anna's eyes instinctively followed Elsa as she glided across the ice. And as if her skating wasn't impressive enough, she soon surprised her by doing not one, not two, but <em>three </em>jumps in a row. It was so amazing, Anna almost wanted to stand up and clap. She'd seen Elsa jump before but it was nothing like this. These jumps were big; much bigger than the ones that she'd seen her do at the public skate sessions. And she did it with such grace.</p><p>By the time Anna looked at her phone, half an hour had gone by. She'd never been interested in figure skating before but now, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the rink even if she tried. There was just something about Elsa's movements that grabbed her attention. The way she held her arms out, the way she wrapped her leg while she's in the air, the way she landed on the ice—everything was just so <em>mesmerizing</em>.</p><p>But it eventually came to an end. A loud buzz sounded across the rink and the skaters quickly exited the ice. Aside from Elsa, who sat down at one of the nearby benches, everyone else seemed to mingle in small groups.</p><p>
  <em>I should probably let her know that I'm here, right? Yeah.</em>
</p><p>Standing up, Anna sauntered her way toward Elsa, who was wiping sweat off her face with a small towel.</p><p>"Hi," Anna greeted.</p><p>"Anna?" Elsa's eyes seemed to widen at her sudden appearance. "You're here early."</p><p>"Oh, yeah. I didn't want to be late like last time so I took an earlier bus. I actually got here a while ago. I was sitting over there," Anna said, pointing to a bench on the other side.</p><p>"You were…watching?" Elsa asked.</p><p>"I was, actually. I wasn't sure what to do at first since I got here so early, but then I saw you practicing on the ice. Oh, it was totally a coincidence, by the way! I didn't come here early on purpose to watch you anything. But Elsa, those jumps that you did, they were amazing!" Anna rambled.</p><p>"Oh…thanks."</p><p>An awkward silence fell upon them as Anna pondered what to say next. <em>Uh oh, did I scare her off with my rambling again? Or maybe she's still bothered by what happened the other day? Is that why she's not talking much?</em></p><p>"That was the freeskate session. It's usually a little bit earlier but today it happened to be before the public skate," Elsa explained.</p><p>"O-oh! No wonder." <em>Phew, looks like I'm overthinking it.</em></p><p>"They just have to resurface the ice, it'll take about ten minutes," Elsa said, pointing at the vehicle that seemed to have come out of nowhere.</p><p>"Woah. Is that a truck?" Anna asked.</p><p>"That's the Zamboni. We use that to clean and resurface the ice."</p><p>"Ohhh, so <em>that's </em>the Zamboni. I've heard Kristoff mention it before but I never actually knew what he was talking about." Anna narrowed her eyes at the machine that was now making its way across the ice. "It's bigger than I thought!"</p><p>"They're pretty fun to drive too." A smile appeared on Elsa's lips and it seemed to dissipate the awkwardness that'd been hanging between them earlier.</p><p>"Wait, what? You've driven a Zamboni before?"</p><p>"I resurface the ice sometimes. Not always, though."</p><p>"Wow, really?" Anna exclaimed. "That's so cool! I wish I could drive it too. Not that I have a driver's license or anything…"</p><p>"Well, you never know…" Elsa said, stifling a laugh. "Anyway, are you ready for your lesson?"</p><p>"Oh, right! I should probably go get my skates. Be right back." Anna stood up and was just about to walk off when she was stopped by Elsa's voice.</p><p>"Anna, wait."</p><p>She spun around immediately. "Yeah?"</p><p>"I actually have something for you." Elsa leaned over and took something out of her skating bag, which had been tucked underneath the bench.</p><p>Anna could only widen her eyes as Elsa revealed the thing that was in her hands. Skates. She was holding a pair of skates. <em>But why?</em></p><p>"Why did you bring two pairs of skates?" Anna asked, tilting her head. "Wait a second, did you just say that they're for me?"</p><p>Elsa nodded. "I thought it'd be better if you had your own pair of skates. They're an older model but they'll still be better than rentals," she said.</p><p>
  <em>Wait, what? Elsa's giving me a pair of skates?</em>
</p><p>"But they're expensive, right? I can't accept something like that!"</p><p>"It's okay, Anna. And besides, they're used so they're not worth much anyway," Elsa said. "Oh, you don't mind wearing them, do you? Sorry, I should have asked first."</p><p>"What? No, not at all!" Anna shook her head.</p><p>"Then here, have them." Elsa handed her the skates.</p><p>"Okay, okay, alright, I'll take them," Anna relented. She plopped them onto the ground and that's when she noticed the number inside the boot. "Wait a minute…how did you know my size?"</p><p>Elsa paused for a second. "I asked the staff at the rental shop," she said, her cheeks slightly pink.</p><p>"Oh. Does that mean you're a size 7 too?"</p><p>Elsa nodded.</p><p>
  <em>We have the same shoe size? And she just happened to have an older pair lying around that I can wear? What are the chances of that!</em>
</p><p>"Aww, Elsa, you didn't have to," Anna said, biting down on a smile. "But thanks. I'll be sure to put them to good use!"</p><p>"You're welcome. I think you'll find them quite different compared to the rentals."</p><p>"Hmm, well they're definitely prettier!" Anna said with a laugh. Eager to try out her new skates, she took off her shoes and slid her feet into the boots. "Wow, these things are stiff!"</p><p>"Yeah, they're a little stiffer than the rentals skates. Let me know if there are any pressure points, we can always get them punched out."</p><p>"Punched out?"</p><p>"We can get Kai to stretch out the area so that it won't be as painful," Elsa explained.</p><p>"Wow, you can do that?" Anna asked as she began to tie up one of the skates. Thankfully, it wasn't nearly as difficult as last time. Wiggling her toes, she tried to pinpoint any areas that might be too tight. "Hmmm…nope, so far so good!"</p><p>"I'm glad to hear that," Elsa said. "Just be careful when you go on the ice. The blades will probably feel a little grippy."</p><p>"What do you mean?"</p><p>"They don't sharpen the rentals that often so the blades are usually dull," Elsa explained. "But those, they're sharp so you'll feel the grip on the ice."</p><p>"Ohh." Anna frowned. "Does that mean I'll fall more easily?"</p><p>"Not necessarily," Elsa replied. "But you'll probably want to be careful with the toepick. It<em>'</em>s a little bigger compared to the ones on the rentals."</p><p><em>Oh shoot, not the toepick! </em>Anna lifted her foot to look at the blade and sure enough, the front section was a whole lot bigger than what she was used to. But she had no time to worry about that now; the Zamboni was almost done with the ice. The last thing that she wanted was to make Elsa wait for her like last time.</p><p>Fortunately, she was able to tie up her laces quickly. A couple of minutes later and she was done. The skates felt so different compared to what she'd worn last time; they were stiff, but not to the point where they were hurting her feet. If anything, they actually felt a lot more supportive. All that's left now, was for her to wear her helmet, which Elsa had been nice enough to go get for her while she was still working on her skates.</p><p>"Ready?" Elsa asked.</p><p>"Yup! Oh wait, just one more thing." Anna dug her hands into her pockets and pulled out her gloves. "Can't forget about these," she said with a smile.</p><hr/><p>The first ten minutes of her lesson was spent practicing what she'd learned last time. In other words, she fell, a lot. After all, it <em>was </em>the first thing that Elsa taught her; the fact that she now had bigger toepicks didn't help either. At least it wasn't as unnerving as before; she'd pretty much gotten used to the sensation by now. If anything, it was the swizzles that she struggled with, mainly because her new skates were so "grippy."</p><p>"Okay, now that we've gone over falling and swizzles, let's move on to something new," Elsa said.</p><p>Anna gave an internal sigh of relief. <em>Thank goodness, I've had enough of swizzles.</em></p><p>"What are we going to do now?" she asked.</p><p>"Let's try some snowplow stops."</p><p>"Snowplow stops?"</p><p>"It's one of the easiest ways to stop when you're skating," Elsa explained.</p><p>"Ohh. How do you do it?"</p><p>"You turn your toes inward and push your skates apart—like this," Elsa said, demonstrating the stop. "Your blades will shave the top of the ice, which will bring you to a stop."</p><p>"So I just push my skates apart?" Anna looked down at her feet and tried to mimic what Elsa just did. But apparently, it was a lot more difficult than it looked.</p><p>"Why don't we try it at the wall first?" Elsa suggested.</p><p>"Oh, okay." Anna took a few steps and latched herself onto the wall.</p><p>"It's easier if you learn how to push your feet first," Elsa said, moving her right skate outward. "I like to call this 'making snow' because that's pretty much what you're doing. You're putting pressure on the skate so that the blade scrapes the ice."</p><p>"Like this?" Turning her toes inward, Anna pushed her right foot out toward the side, avoiding the toepick as she did so.</p><p>"Try putting more pressure on your right skate and bend your knees a bit."</p><p>Anna took her advice and tried again. It took some effort but her second attempt was much more successful; she was actually able to shave the ice with her blade this time.</p><p>"Elsa, I did it! I made snow!" Anna exclaimed, a huge grin on her face.</p><p>"Great! Now, try doing it with your left foot," Elsa prompted.</p><p>Anna didn't have to try to know that it would be harder. After all, she could barely do it with her right foot and that was her stronger foot. But she wasn't about to give up just yet. Hand still on the wall, she put pressure on her left skate and pushed it outward. Unlike earlier, however, the movement was both clumsy and awkward.</p><p>"I can't control my left foot," Anna said, pouting her lips.</p><p>"Don't worry, most people will have a weaker foot. It just means that you have to practice that side more."</p><p>The idea of practicing didn't thrill her but she went along with it. And she was glad that she did because she was eventually able to do it…somewhat. It wasn't as great as what she could do with her right skate but hey, at least it was something.</p><p>"Once you're comfortable with that, we can try the full snowplow stop," Elsa said. "What do you think? Are you ready to give it a try?"</p><p>Anna pondered for a second before nodding. <em>Might as well learn how to do the stop. Maybe then I'll actually be able to stop myself from crashing into people.</em></p><p>"So, with the snowplow stop, you want to start off with a little speed." Elsa pushed her blade against the ice to demonstrate her point. "A simple two-foot glide will do—like this. And when you're ready to stop, bend your knees and apply pressure to your skates like what you did earlier."</p><p>Anna watched as Elsa skid to a stop in front of her. As always, she made it look <em>so</em> easy.</p><p>"Go on, give it a try," Elsa said.</p><p><em>This can't be as bad as those swizzles, right? I can do this</em>. Taking a deep breath, Anna took a few small steps, which eventually turned into a slow glide. She then bent her knees and pushed her skates to the side, the pressure causing her blades to scrape against the ice. And to her surprise, she actually stopped.</p><p>
  <em>I did it? I did it! Huh, guess these snowplow stops aren't that bad, after all.</em>
</p><p>"Yup, just like that!" Elsa gave a small clap. "And eventually, you'll be able to stop at a faster speed. But that was very good for your first try."</p><p>Anna had to press her lips together to prevent herself from smiling. <em>I just got complimented by Elsa!</em></p><p>Feeling encouraged, she decided to try it a few more times. And while she still struggled with her left foot, she was starting to feel more confident. In other words, she was making progress!</p><p>"Looks like you're getting the hang of it. Shall we try skating backward now?" Elsa asked.</p><p>Anna gulped. <em>Backward? But I can barely go forward…</em></p><p>"Uhhhh…I'm not sure about that."</p><p>"Don't worry, it's not that bad. We can start off with some backward wiggles." With that, Elsa bent her knees and began to skate backward in a wiggly motion. "Like this."</p><p>"Uh-huh," Anna said, the lack of confidence showing in her voice.</p><p>"I'll hold your hands from the front and give you a small push so that you'll have a bit of momentum to work with," Elsa said.</p><p>
  <em>Wait, she's going to hold my hands? I'm okay with that.</em>
</p><p>"Oh. Yeah, I think I can do that," Anna replied.</p><p>"Here," Elsa said as she took Anna's hands.</p><p>Elsa's grip was soft but that didn't stop Anna from noticing the warmth that was now seeping into her hands and for a second, she almost forgot what she was doing.</p><p>"Basically, just wiggle your hips and legs," Elsa said as she began to skate forward. "That's all you need to do and I'll be right here so you won't have to worry about falling."</p><p>
  <em>Okay…so I just wiggle my hips and legs? That doesn't sound that bad.</em>
</p><p>Knees bent, Anna began to wiggle her way backward with Elsa in front of her. Left, right. Left, right. She was going at a snail's pace and she knew it but that didn't matter. She was skating backward! That had to be like, a milestone or something.</p><p>Excited, her eyes immediately went up toward Elsa, who met her gaze with a smile.</p><p>"Ready to go a bit faster?" Elsa asked.</p><p>Anna nodded.</p><p>In the end, they went all the way down to the other end of the rink. And while it wasn't a particularly impressive feat, it made her feel proud nonetheless.</p><p>"See, that wasn't so bad," Elsa said. "If you can, try to practice it by yourself a few times. It'll get easier."</p><p><em>But then I won't get to hold onto your hand</em>…is what she wanted to say but of course, she didn't voice that out loud. "Okay."</p><p>"Alright then, let's try some one-foot glides next."</p><p>"Uhh…you mean I have to glide on one foot?" Anna asked, her voice a pitch higher than normal.</p><p>"Exactly. It's when you glide with one foot up in the air." Elsa showed her what she meant by lifting up her right skate.</p><p>"Can you hold my hand?" The words had spilled out of her mouth before she knew it.</p><p>
  <em>Oh god, what did I just say?</em>
</p><p>"I could," Elsa began. "But I think for this, it might be better if you try it yourself. Don't worry, though, I'll be right here beside you if you need me."</p><p>
  <em>Well, duh. She's not going to hold your hand for everything. What were you expecting?</em>
</p><p>"Oh, okay," Anna said, trying not to let her disappointment show.</p><p>"It's kind of like the snowplow stop in that you want to start off with a little speed," Elsa explained. "But instead of pushing your feet out to the side, you'll be lifting one of them up."</p><p>As if testing the waters, Anna lifted her left skate ever so slightly from the ice. But that only lasted about a millisecond before her lack of balance forced her to put it back down.</p><p>"If you want, we can try it by the wall first," Elsa suggested.</p><p>"Oh, umm, yeah. Let's do that!"</p><p>Stepping back toward the boards, Anna waited for Elsa's instructions.</p><p>"Start with a two-foot glide. From there, shift your weight to one foot. Make sure that your knees are bent and that your arms are out for balance," Elsa explained.</p><p>So that's what she did. She had no problem with the gliding, having done that several times for the snowplow stop earlier, but holding her foot up? That was hard. Thank goodness she had a wall to hold onto because otherwise, she would have probably fallen on her butt. Not that it would be anything new, though.</p><p>"Remember to keep your eyes up, you don't want to look at the ice," Elsa reminded. "And try to go just a little faster, that might help."</p><p>
  <em>Faster?</em>
</p><p>Straightening herself, Anna gave it one more go, this time with a bit more speed. And it seemed to help; her foot seemed to linger in the air for just a little while longer.</p><p>"That's it!" Elsa said, skating around her to give her a pat on the back.</p><p>"But I only went like, a few inches forward," Anna said sheepishly.</p><p>"And that's still great!" Elsa gave her an encouraging smile. "But it looks like we'll have to wait until next time to glide with the other foot."</p><p>"Wait, our lesson is over already?" Anna turned her head to look at the timer on the wall.</p><p>"Unfortunately, yes."</p><p>"Darn! And I was just starting to get the hang of it too!" Anna said, puffing out her cheeks.</p><p>"…But if you wanted to, I was thinking that maybe, you can come over afterward?" Elsa asked, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>"Oh, I just thought that maybe, we can have dinner together again. If you'd like," Elsa said, her eyes meeting Anna's before lowering toward the floor.</p><p>"Oh. Wait, you mean like, go over to your place? Because that would be great, actually. I mean, yeah, no, I would love to go!"</p><p>Elsa's lips seemed to curl upward. "Then I'll meet you back at the benches in a little bit?"</p><p>"Sounds like a plan to me!"</p><p>
  <em>She's inviting me over for dinner? Heck yes!</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anna felt a strange sense of deja vu. Here she was again, in Elsa’s apartment. Who would have thought that she’d be back so soon?</p><p>Stepping into the suite, Anna carefully lowered her new skates onto the ground. Elsa had insisted that she bring them up with her. Something about the trunk of the car being bad for the leather or something.</p><p>“Have a seat,” Elsa said, gesturing toward the sofa. “I’ll go prepare the food.”</p><p>“Wait, you mean, you’re going to cook?” Anna asked.</p><p>“Yeah. I thought it’d be better than ordering takeout.” Elsa opened the kitchen cabinet and took out a rectangular box. “I was thinking maybe, pasta?”</p><p>
  <em>She’s going to cook for me? I’ll take that over pizza any day!</em>
</p><p>“Ooh, that would be great!” Anna exclaimed, trying her best to contain her excitement. “Pasta’s like, one of my favorite foods, right after sandwiches.”</p><p>Elsa gave her a smile before picking out a few things from the fridge. “It’ll probably take about 20 minutes. If you want, you can turn on the TV.”</p><p>“What? Nono, let me help!” Anna said, rolling up the sleeves of her shirt. “I’m sure I can make myself useful.”</p><p>“In that case, do you mind toasting the garlic bread? It’s just in the freezer.”</p><p>“Sure! Oh, but I should probably wash my hands first. And since you’re using the sink, I’ll go use the one in the bathroom. Where’s it again?”</p><p>“It’s the first door to your right.”</p><p>“Thanks!”</p><p>A few strides later and she was standing in front of the sink. Turning on the tap, Anna washed her hands; the warm water felt nice on her skin, which surprisingly, was still cold from being at the rink.</p><p>Just as she was about to return to the kitchen, her eyes caught sight of the room across the hall. Was that Elsa’s room? The door was left open so she had a pretty good view of the space. And like the rest of the apartment, it was tidy and clean. A little too clean. Aside from a fish tank, which stood against the back wall, there really weren’t any furnishings at all. <em>Wait a second...a fish tank? </em></p><p>Curiosity immediately grabbed hold of her. “Elsa, can I take a look at your fish tank?” Anna called out from the room.</p><p>“Sure. Go ahead,” Elsa replied, her voice a bit far away.</p><p>Smiling to herself, Anna walked into the room. But it wasn’t the fish tank that she checked out first. No, it was the row of medals that hung from the side wall. There were so many of them, she wouldn’t be able to ignore them even if she tried.</p><p><em>Woah…there must be at least a dozen medals here. </em>She spent the next couple of minutes studying each and every one of them.</p><p>“Anna?”</p><p>
  <em>Oh, shoot. I got carried away. </em>
</p><p>“Umm, be right there!”</p><p>She decided to take a quick peek at the fish tank before returning to the kitchen. After all, that was what she’d come in for in the first place. What she saw in the tank, however, was <em>not </em>what she was expecting.</p><p>“Elsa!” Anna practically slid her way back to the kitchen. “Your fish…it has legs!”</p><p>Elsa gave a small laugh. “You mean Bruni? He’s an axolotl.”</p><p>“Axolotl?” Anna repeated, tilting her head.</p><p>“They’re a type of salamander that live in the water. I’ve had him ever since I got here.”</p><p>“…Ohhh. No wonder.” Anna nodded to herself. “Yeah, that makes a lot more sense.”</p><p>“I don’t blame you for being surprised, though. They’re not that common here,” Elsa said. “By the way, I already got the garlic bread out of the freezer. It’s over there.” She pointed at a ziplock bag on the counter.</p><p>“Oh, right! Sorry, I totally got distracted,” Anna admitted.</p><p>“It’s okay, I’m just boiling the pasta.” Elsa gestured at the large pot in front of her. “Just a couple more minutes and we’ll be able to mix in the sauce.”</p><p>“Sounds good!” Anna gave the bubbling pot a quick glance before grabbing the ziplock bag. “Did you want me to put this in the toaster oven?”</p><p>“That’d be great, thanks,” Elsa replied.</p><p>Eager to help, Anna popped the garlic bread into the small oven; it was an appliance that she was well accustomed with, having relied on it for quick meals during her high school days. The one that Elsa had was a little fancier than what she was used to, though, with its digital display and all. But that didn’t stop her from figuring out the controls.</p><p>“And the garlic bread is in!” Anna said proudly. “What should I do next?”</p><p>“Can you pass me that jar?” Elsa pointed at a container by the fridge.</p><p>“Sure.” Anna took the jar with one hand and gave it to Elsa. “What is it? It looks tomato-ey.”</p><p>“It’s the sauce that we’ll be using for the pasta,” Elsa explained. “I made it with tomatoes and ground beef.”</p><p>Anna widened her eyes. “You made that? That’s amazing! I usually just use the premade stuff. But then again, I don’t really make pasta that often.”</p><p>“Yeah, I actually prepared it over the weekend,” Elsa replied.</p><p><em>Over the weekend? So she’s been planning this dinner since then? </em>The possibility of that made her grin like an idiot.</p><p>“It won’t be long now,” Elsa continued. “Why don’t you have a seat on the sofa?”</p><p>Realizing that there was nothing left for her to do, Anna agreed. She could feel the cushion sink underneath her weight as she plopped herself down. Leaning back, she took out her phone. And to her surprise, she had three unread messages—all from Rapunzel. Apparently, she’d wanted to meet up for dinner.</p><p>
  <em>She probably just wants to know how my lesson went. Well, too late for that now. I’ll just call her later.</em>
</p><p>By the time she was done fiddling with her phone, she could smell the garlic bread and pasta in the air and it made her stomach rumble.</p><p>“All done,” Elsa said. She turned around to face Anna, who had stood up from the sofa.</p><p>“I’ll help set the table!”</p><p>“Thanks,” Elsa said. “The placemats and forks are in the drawer in front of the leftmost cabinet.”</p><p>“Gotcha!”</p><p>Anna found what she was looking for and placed them on the dining table. Mission complete, she turned her attention back to Elsa, who was plating the pasta. She could see the garlic bread on the side and the sight of it all made her drool.</p><p>“Here we go.” Elsa walked over to the table holding the plates in her hands.</p><p>“Wow, it looks amazing!” Anna exclaimed as she helped Elsa with the plates. “You weren’t kidding when you said that you liked to cook!”</p><p>“It’s spaghetti with meat sauce, I hope you like it.”</p><p>“I do! I mean, well, I haven’t eaten it yet but I can just tell from the smell,” Anna said as she made herself comfortable in one of the chairs.</p><p>Elsa smiled. “Bon appétit.”</p><p>With that, Anna began to slurp the spaghetti into her mouth. It probably wasn’t the most elegant way to go about it, but hey, Elsa wouldn’t mind, right?</p><p>“Yup, I was totally right. This is delicious!” Anna said with a mouth full of food. She knew better than to talk while eating but the pasta was just so good, she couldn’t help it.</p><p>“I’m glad you like it.” Elsa twirled the spaghetti with her fork before bringing it toward her mouth. “It’s something that I make often.”</p><p>“Right, I remember, you said that you like to make pasta!”</p><p>Elsa nodded. “It’s easy to make and I like experimenting with different sauces.”</p><p>“The garlic bread is really good too,” Anna said. “I haven’t had it in like, forever!” She took a bite and reveled in the taste.</p><p>“I thought you might like it.”</p><p>“Yup, nothing like pasta with a little bit of garlic bread on the side!”</p><p>Fueled by hunger, Anna managed to finish her plate in less than ten minutes. In hindsight, she probably should have chewed her food a bit more but oh well—indigestion would be worth it. Looking up, she could see that Elsa was just finishing up with hers.</p><p>“Thanks again, for you know, making me dinner,” she said.</p><p>“It was my pleasure. I usually eat by myself so it’s nice to have some company once in a while.” Elsa placed her fork down on the table and wiped her mouth with a napkin.</p><p>“I’d be happy to come over anytime!” The words came out of her mouth before she knew it. “Uhh, I mean, if you’ll have me, of course.”</p><p>“I’d love to,” Elsa said as turned her gaze toward Anna. “Oh, can you hold still for a second?”</p><p>“Hm?”</p><p>Before she knew it, Elsa had closed the distance between them. She felt a soft sensation on her cheek and for a second, she thought that her heart was going to beat out of her chest. She quickly realized, however, that the thing on her face was a napkin and not something else.</p><p>“You had some sauce on your face.” Elsa showed her the red stain that was on the napkin.</p><p>“Oh.” Anna paused for a second as she thought about what to say next. “T-thanks. I guess that’s what I get for eating so fast,” she said with a nervous laugh.</p><p>“No problem,” Elsa replied.</p><p>“So, umm, how often do you feed Bruni?” Anna asked, desperate to change the topic.</p><p>Elsa seemed surprised by her question but answered nonetheless. “Not that often. I usually feed him once every two to three days.”</p><p>“What? But won’t he starve?”</p><p>Elsa shook her head. “They digest their food very slowly. It can actually be a problem if you feed them too often.”</p><p>“Ohhh.”</p><p>“Speaking of which, I was actually going to feed him after this,” Elsa said. “Did you want to do it?”</p><p>“I can?” Anna’s eyes sparkled. “Yeah, I’d love to!”</p><p>Leaving the empty plates behind, the two headed off to Elsa’s room. More specifically, to the glass tank that sat beside the windows.</p><p>“What does he eat?” Anna asked.</p><p>“They eat worms and insects mostly.”</p><p>Anna froze. She’d always been an animal lover but creepy crawlies? She was pretty sure that she had a phobia or two of them.</p><p>“Umm, actually Elsa…”</p><p>“But I usually feed Bruni axolotl pellets,” Elsa continued.</p><p>
  <em>Oh. Phew. Thank goodness.</em>
</p><p>“See that feeding dish in the center?” Elsa pointed at what appeared to be a small white plate in the middle of the tank. “You put the pellets there and he’ll gobble them right up.”</p><p>“Huh, sounds easy enough,” Anna said.</p><p>“Here, use these.” Elsa handed Anna a small bag of pellets and a pair of silver tongs. “You can use these to put the pellets on the dish.”</p><p>So she spent the next couple of minutes doing exactly that. The pellets weren’t very big but they had this distinct odor to them that reminded her of fish. Eyes glued to the tank, she watched as Bruni crawled over toward the plate. And within seconds, he had gobbled all of the food, just like Elsa said he would.</p><p>“Wow, he must have been hungry,” Anna said, amazed by what she’d just witnessed.</p><p>“Their eyesight isn’t the best but they can definitely smell food when it’s in front of them,” Elsa explained.</p><p>“Thanks for letting me feed him.” Anna said as she gave Elsa back the tongs. “But wow, I would have never guessed that you had a pet salamander! Well, water salamander.”</p><p>“To be honest, I wasn’t actually the one who got him. The previous tenant left him in the apartment when they moved and the landlord wasn’t quite sure what to do with him so they ended up leaving his tank there.”</p><p>“What? I can’t believe some people would do that!”</p><p>“Yeah…” Elsa said as she put away the tongs. “Anyway, did you want dessert? I made some chocolate mousse.”</p><p>“You did?” Anna gasped. “Of course, I would love some!”</p><p>Anna turned on her heel and followed Elsa as she exited the room, her eyes hovering over the wall for a brief second as she walked past the medals.</p><p>“You have so many medals,” she said once they were back in the kitchen.</p><p>“Hm?” Elsa was busy taking two small cups out of the fridge. “Oh, the medals? They’re from various competitions over the years.”</p><p>“As expected from such a great figure skater!” Anna exclaimed as she sat back down.</p><p>“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Elsa said as she placed the cups on the table.</p><p>Anna’s eyes immediately went toward the desserts. The glass cups weren’t very big, but they were filled to the brim with chocolate mousse, complete a small blob of whipping cream. And were those chocolate shavings at the top?</p><p>Unable to hold back any longer, Anna dug her spoon into the mousse. “Mmmmm…this is to die for,” she said as the dessert melted in her mouth; it was soft and creamy but not too sweet with its chocolatey flavor.</p><p>Elsa gave out a small laugh. “You’re exaggerating.”</p><p>“No, I’m totally serious! This is <em>so </em>good.”</p><p>“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” Elsa said with a hint of smugness in her voice.</p><p>“Anyway, what was I talking about earlier?” Anna took the spoon out of her mouth and thought for a second before continuing. “Oh, right! The medals. I love how you have them displayed on the wall like that. They give your room a lot of character!”</p><p>“Thanks,” Elsa began. “I actually brought them here with me as a way to motivate myself. They remind me why I’m training.”</p><p>“But you’re already so talented!”</p><p>“Now that I’ve moved up to the senior level, things are a little harder,” Elsa explained. “Especially since I don’t have a coach at the moment.”</p><p>Anna thought back to the man whom they’d bumped into at the skate shop the other day. <em>Right, that was her old figure skating coach…</em></p><p>“Are you going to get a new one?” Anna asked.</p><p>“I would like to, yes,” Elsa replied. “But it’s a bit difficult.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“The figure skating club that I’m part of only has a few coaches,” Elsa said as she finished her dessert. “…and unfortunately, none of them are taking new skaters right now.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>Now that she thought about it, there <em>were </em>a lot of other figure skaters at the rink. Did they all belong to the same club? Was Elsa the only one without a coach?</p><p>“What about your old coach? Can you work with him again?” Anna asked. It was an innocent question, but judging by the look on Elsa’s face, it was probably the wrong thing to ask.</p><p>“Marshall, he…” Elsa trailed off.</p><p>“Oh, it’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it!” Anna said, waving her hand.</p><p>“No, Anna, it’s fine,” Elsa said, her eyes downcast. “It’s just that, well, I was the one who fired him so…”</p><p>“But you can always re-hire him, right?”</p><p>“I suppose I could. But he probably won’t want to be my coach anymore.”</p><p>Now she<em> really</em> wanted to know. Just what happened between them? She’d decided not to ask about it before, but now, she wasn’t sure if she could hold back her curiosity.</p><p>So she decided to ask.</p><p>“What…happened?”</p><p>Elsa’s eyes shifted from left to right as if she was contemplating whether or not to answer the question. “It’s my dream to compete internationally,” she eventually said.</p><p>“Internationally?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Elsa said with a nod. “To be able to compete against some of the best figure skaters in the world—that’s my dream.”</p><p>“You can do it,” Anna said without hesitation. “Heck, I bet you could even go to the Olympics if you wanted to!”</p><p>Elsa smiled at her words. “I’ve always pushed myself when it comes to training. I even make a point not to talk to anyone when I’m practicing—it helps me focus.”</p><p>For a second, Anna wondered what that had to do with her coach. But she figured that Elsa would explain eventually.</p><p>“My old coach, Marshall, he told me that I was pushing myself too much,” Elsa continued. “And he was right. But I was so focused on trying to improve that I ignored what he said. It eventually got to a point where he refused to coach me unless I took a break. So I fired him.”</p><p>Suddenly, it all made sense to Anna. Why Elsa injured herself, why she had such an iffy relationship with her former coach.</p><p>“I didn’t even know anything was wrong until one day, I woke up and couldn’t walk without crying out in pain.” Elsa looked down at her leg. “Apparently, I had injured my calf so badly that I needed surgery. That was when I realized that I should have listened to Marshall. It was nobody’s fault but my own.”</p><p>“Elsa…” Anna instinctively leaned in. “No one wanted that to happen, and you already paid the price with your injury.” She wanted so much to pull Elsa into her arms, to let her know that this whole thing wasn’t her fault.</p><p>“I suppose so.”</p><p>“And besides, you were just trying to improve!”</p><p>“Yes, but it’s also true that I didn’t listen to my coach. So I can’t blame him for not wanting to coach me anymore,” Elsa said.</p><p>“But you didn’t ask him, right? I bet he’d be happy to work with you again! You just have to, you know, take the initiative. So what if you guys parted on somewhat bad terms? From what I saw at the skate shop, he obviously still cares for you as a coach!”</p><p>Elsa looked up and their eyes met for the first time since they first started to talk about what had happened. “…You think so?”</p><p>“I <em>know</em> so! Trust me, I’ve always been good with these kinds of things,” Anna said with a smug expression on her face.</p><p>“Thanks, Anna.”</p><p>“Of course! We’re friends, after all.”</p><p>The second she finished her sentence, her pocket started to vibrate. <em>Huh? Who’s calling me at this hour? </em>It didn’t take long for her to notice Rapunzel’s name on the screen. <em>Oh. Why am I not surprised?</em></p><p><em>“</em>Go ahead, I don’t mind,” Elsa said, motioning toward Anna’s pocket.</p><p>“Oh, it’s okay.” Anna took her phone out and showed Elsa the screen. “It’s just Rapunzel. I can call her back once I’m home. Knowing her, it’s probably nothing important.” <em>She just wants to ask about how I’m doing with you, that’s all.</em></p><p>“Are you sure?”</p><p>Anna nodded before shoving the device back in her pocket. “Yup, it’s no problem at all!”</p><p>“…I like the photo that you guys took together,” Elsa said.</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>“The picture of Rapunzel that came up on the screen when she called? I thought I saw you in it as well.”</p><p>
  <em>Ohh. The chameleon photo.</em>
</p><p>“It’s uh, a selfie that we took last Halloween,” Anna said, slightly mortified at what she’d just shown her without realizing. “She made me wear this hideous chameleon costume.”</p><p>“I like it. It’s cute.”</p><p>Anna’s heart rate went up. <em>Did she just call me cute? Or is she referring to the costume?</em></p><p>“Thanks.” Anna wasn’t sure what else to say but then, she thought of something. “You know, if you wanted to, we could take a photo together too.”</p><p>“Oh, I’m not good with selfies,” Elsa said, dismissing the idea.</p><p>“It’s okay, I’ll hold the camera so all you’ll have to do is smile!” Anna said. “It’ll be to commemorate our first non-pizza dinner together.”</p><p>
  <em>Please say yes, please say yes. </em>
</p><p>Elsa seemed to ponder for a moment. “I suppose I can do that.”</p><p>
  <em>Yes! </em>
</p><p>“Alrighty then, I’ll go over to your side so we can take the picture,” Anna said as she slipped out of her chair. Walking around the table, she positioned herself just centimeters away from Elsa. They were so close, she could practically feel her breath on her skin.</p><p>“So…where do I look?” Elsa asked.</p><p>“Right here, this is the camera,” Anna said, pointing at the small circle above the screen. “Are you ready?”</p><p>“I think so.”</p><p>Bending down so that they were at the same level, Anna held out her phone. She had made sure to switch over to the front camera so that they’d be able to see themselves on the screen. “Okay, smiiileee!”</p><p>In the end, they took about a dozen photos. It was obvious to Anna that Elsa had never taken selfies before, but she didn’t mind. Not at all. If anything, it made the moment that much more special—it meant that she was one of the first people to take a selfie with Elsa. And that made her happy.</p><p>“I’m going to set this one as your contact photo,” Anna said, tapping on one of the thumbnails. She grinned to herself as the image popped up on the screen. It was slightly blurry but she could hardly notice it; Elsa’s face was right there beside hers and they both had this awkward smile as if neither of them knew what to do with their face now that they were next to each other. It was kind of endearing.</p><p>“I like it,” Elsa eventually said. “Can you send it to me?”</p><p>“Oh! Um, sure,” Anna said, slightly surprised by her request. She didn’t think that Elsa would be interested; she thought for sure that she just went along with it because she asked her to. But that didn’t stop her from tapping her fingers on the screen. “And sent!”</p><p>“Thanks,” Elsa said.</p><p>“So, did you want me to help you with the dishes?” Anna asked after putting her device away.</p><p>“Oh, it’s okay. I can do it,” Elsa replied. “Actually, I was thinking of driving you home. It’s starting to get late.”</p><p>Anna looked at the clock. Elsa was right; it <em>was </em>starting to get late and she had class early the next morning. What she wouldn’t do to stay a little longer…</p><p>“Time went by so fast,” she said with a small pout.</p><p>“I know what you mean,” Elsa said. “But it was fun. Thanks for coming.”</p><p>“Thanks for having me. And for making all that delicious food. And for driving me home.” Anna paused for a second. “Wow, now that I think about it, I’m being completely spoiled, aren’t I?”</p><p>Elsa stifled a laugh. “It’s okay, please, don’t worry about it.”</p><p>“Well, if you say so!” Anna said with a smile.</p><p>And with that, her “dinner date” with Elsa came to an end.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A/N: I'm alive! Sorry for the huge delay, things have just been a little hectic so I haven't had a chance to update but here's the next chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Two weeks have passed since their "dinner date." She'd had another lesson last week but aside from that, she hasn't really seen Elsa. Not that didn't want to, of course, she totally did—it's just that she had this paper that she had to finish by the end of the week, and because of that, she's had no time to skate or do anything fun, really. Sure, they've exchanged a few text messages here and there, but it's just not the same.</p><p>Arms sprawled out on the table, Anna let out a sigh.</p><p>"Woah, what's wrong with you?" A voice called out from behind.</p><p>"Kristoff?" Anna whipped her head around and was surprised to see him there. She'd never thought him to be the library type but then again, she wasn't either, and here she was, typing away in a study room like some sort of diligent student. "Why are you here? Actually, don't answer that. I'm trying to like, concentrate."</p><p>Kristoff raised an eyebrow at her, amused.</p><p>"I have a paper due in a couple of days, okay?" Anna said, eyes focused on the laptop in front of her. "How did you know I was here anyway?"</p><p>"I thought you were trying to concentrate," Kristoff said with a smirk.</p><p>Anna frowned but didn't say anything.</p><p>"I asked Punzie. She told me that you've pretty much locked yourself in here for the past few days."</p><p>"It's the only place where I can focus," Anna said as she tried to tune him out.</p><p>"Lemme guess, you've been thinking about Elsa?"</p><p>"Wait, what? W-where did that come from?"</p><p>"No need to hide it, kiddo, I can read you like a book," Kristoff started. "And besides, you guys are pretty much dating anyway."</p><p>"What? We are <em>not</em>!"</p><p>"She's invited you over to her house <em>twice</em> and you guys skate together all the time, I'd say that's pretty close."</p><p>"Well, we aren't, okay? She's just teaching me how to skate." Anna could feel the heat rise to her cheeks. "And besides, I haven't seen her since last week."</p><p>"You don't want to see her?"</p><p>"Of course I do! I mean, yes, I do. But I have to finish this god darn paper first," Anna said, frustration evident in her voice. "It's worth 70% of our final grade, apparently."</p><p>"Wow, my condolences."</p><p>"So, like, can you leave me alone, please? I want to get this over with and you being here definitely does not help!"</p><p>"Huh, and here I was, about to tell you something about Elsa too," Kristoff said. "Guess I'll keep it to myself."</p><p>That caught Anna's attention. "Wait, what?"</p><p>A grin appeared on Kristoff's face. "You see, I kind of ran into her at the coffee shop earlier."</p><p>"And…?" Anna said as she raised an eyebrow, urging him to continue.</p><p>"And well, she was kind of asking about you."</p><p>"She did? W-what did she say?"</p><p>"Oh, nothing," Kristoff said. "Just that she's been wondering what you've been up to."</p><p>"Huh? She asked about <em>me</em>?"</p><p>Kristoff nodded. "She said you seemed to be preoccupied with something lately and me, being the great friend that I am, told her that I'd find out for her."</p><p>"But she could have just texted me…" Anna mumbled to herself.</p><p>"She probably didn't want to bother you."</p><p>…And that's when she remembered. Elsa had sent her a text message the other night asking whether or not she'd wanted to have a lesson next week, but tired as she was from writing her paper, she'd fallen asleep before replying and had forgotten all about it until now.</p><p>
  <em>Oh god.</em>
</p><p>"Judging from that horrible look on your face, I'm going to say that she sent you a message and you forgot to reply."</p><p>
  <em>Jeez, why is he so perceptive sometimes?</em>
</p><p>"Uh, maaybe," Anna said as she picked up her phone, typed a quick message, and sent it off. "But I've got it under control now."</p><p>"Well then, guess my job here is done." Kristoff stood up from his chair and began to make his way toward the door before turning around. "But yeah, why don't you go see her or something? I mean, she's obviously been thinking about you."</p><p>
  <em>Maybe I should swing by the cafe later…</em>
</p><p>"Uhh, yeah. I'll think about it!"</p><hr/><p>By the time she'd finished what she was working on, it was six o'clock.</p><p>
  <em>Oh shoot, I hope she's still there.</em>
</p><p>Ignoring the hunger pangs that gnawed away at her stomach, she quickly packed her things and left the room in which she'd spent nearly the entire day in.</p><p>The library wasn't too far away from the coffee shop but it would still take her a few minutes to get there. Rounding the corner, Anna was just about to head toward the main buildings when she noticed a small kiosk on the side of the path.</p><p>
  <em>Huh, was that always there?</em>
</p><p>Curious, she decided to make a quick detour and she was glad that she did because they sold some of the cutest jewelry that she has ever seen. Rings, bracelets, necklaces—they pretty much had everything that a girl would want. And then, something caught her eye. It was a small, yet intricate snowflake pendant with a blue gemstone in the center. It instantly reminded her of Elsa.</p><p>
  <em>I have to get it.</em>
</p><p>So she did. It cost her a little more than what she'd wanted to pay but it was worth it. Sliding the small box into her pocket, she made her way to the coffee shop, a small smile on her face.</p><hr/><p>The familiar smell of coffee tickled her nose as she entered the cafe and it reminded her of just how hungry she was. But she quickly forgot about that once she saw who she was looking for. It'd been a while since she last saw Elsa in her barista uniform. Hair tied up in a bun, she was busy wiping down one of the tables.</p><p>"Elsa!"</p><p>Elsa stopped what she was doing and looked up. "Anna?"</p><p>"Phew! I'm so glad you're still here," Anna said. "Kristoff told me you were working today so I wanted to swing by. And I'm so sorry I never got back to your text until today! I've just been so busy with this paper."</p><p>Elsa seemed to pause for a second. "Oh, it's okay. I'm just glad that you're okay," Elsa said. "Actually, <em>are</em> you okay? You look a little pale."</p><p>"Don't worry, I'm totally okay. Just a little hungry, that's all."</p><p>"Here, have a seat," Elsa said as she pulled out a chair from the table. "I'll be right back."</p><p>A minute later and she was back with a small plate. Anna knew what it was immediately—it was a Nanaimo bar. The same thing that she'd gotten the first day she came to the cafe.</p><p>"If you want, you can have it."</p><p>"Are you sure? I can pay for it," Anna said as she reached into her bag for her wallet.</p><p>"No no, it's okay. We're closing soon and we usually take home the leftovers anyway," Elsa explained.</p><p>"Really? Wow, lucky you! I mean, thanks for the treat!" Anna said as she happily bit into the dessert bar.</p><p>"I'm off now, actually. I just have to go clock out." Elsa gestured toward the back room. "Can you wait for me?"</p><p>"Oh, sure! I'll be right here eating my Nanaimo bar."</p><p>
  <em>Wow, talk about perfect timing. Who knew that she'd be off the second I step into the store?</em>
</p><p>Just as she was about to take the last bite of her dessert bar, Elsa came back, and this time, she was wearing her black hoodie.</p><p>"Thanks for waiting. Let's go!" Elsa said.</p><p>Anna nodded and followed her outside.</p><p>"So…where are we going?" Anna asked after taking a few steps.</p><p>"Oh, sorry! Looks like I got ahead of myself." Elsa said as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I was thinking, maybe you'd like to come to the rink with me? I'm going in for a quick practice session today."</p><p>Anna thought for a second. She still had a bit left to do for her paper but she could always do it tonight. Or tomorrow. And besides, she deserved a break for how hard she's worked these past few days.</p><p>"Sure, I'd love to."</p><hr/><p>The rink was practically empty, except for a couple of skaters who were practicing on the ice. As for Elsa, she'd excused herself to the changing room after doing a couple of warm-up laps. For what reason, Anna had no idea. Maybe she had a new practice outfit? Whatever it was, she hoped it wasn't black. She wore way too much of that.</p><p>Feeling a bit chilly, she put her hands in her pocket and felt the small box that she'd put in earlier.</p><p>
  <em>Oh right, I still have to give it to her.</em>
</p><p>Before she could figure out when, however, someone called out her name.</p><p><em>Hm? </em>Looking up, her eyes were dazzled by something shiny. It was Elsa. She was wearing a sleeveless, light blue dress with a swirl of crystals around the neckline; the skirt featured a blue to white gradient and its frills only seemed to accentuate the length of her legs.</p><p>"Wow…Elsa, you look, beautiful."</p><p>"Thanks. I had it custom made for my short program," Elsa said, her cheeks slightly pinker than usual. "I picked it up this morning and wanted to try practicing with it on."</p><p>"<em>That's</em> why you went to the changing room!"</p><p>Elsa gave her a small smile and sat down on the bench next to her. "I've decided to compete in the Regionals next month," she said. "I actually talked with Marshall the other day and he agreed to coach me again."</p><p>"What? You did? That's great!" Anna clapped her hands together excitedly. "See? I told you that everything would be fine! You had nothing to worry about!"</p><p>"It's all thanks to you, Anna," Elsa said. "I would have never done it if it wasn't for what you said."</p><p>"Oh, it's nothing," Anna said, tucking a strand of stray hair behind her ear.</p><p>"Hopefully, I'll be able to do well enough to move on to the Sectionals." Elsa looked up and watched the skaters on the ice.</p><p>"When is it? I'll come and watch!" Anna asked.</p><p>"It's in three and a half weeks so I still have some time to practice," Elsa began. "I'm thinking of ramping it up a little bit, though."</p><p>"What about school and work?"</p><p>"Oaken was nice enough to give me a couple of weeks off when I told him about the competition so it should be okay."</p><p><em>But what about our lessons together? Will we still have time to hang out? </em>…is what she wanted to ask.</p><p>But she didn't have to because Elsa had apparently read her mind. "Don't worry, though, I'll still make time for our lessons. Just maybe not the week prior to the competition…I have a feeling things will be a little hectic then."</p><p>"You do what you have to do! Don't worry about me!" Anna said, secretly relieved by her words.</p><p>Elsa gave a small laugh. "Alright then. Well, I guess it's time for me to go practice."</p><p>Anna nodded and Elsa made her way onto the ice, which was now empty. <em>Huh, the other girls must have left. </em>Instead of going right into her spins and jumps, however, she skated to the center and stood still with one arm up.</p><p>
  <em>Huh? What's she doing?</em>
</p><p>Then the music started. And that's when Elsa came to life.</p><p>Moving in tune with the music, Elsa began to glide across the ice, the frill on her skirt dancing along as she went. It was a slow ballad, one that reminded Anna of the winter. If anything, it almost had a hint of sadness to it, but Elsa's performance was anything but sad. It was magical. Maybe it was the dress, maybe it was the music; all Anna knew was that she'd never seen anything like it. Sure, she'd seen Elsa do some pretty amazing things before, but <em>this</em>, this was on a whole new level. If she didn't know, she would have thought that she was watching the Olympics in real-life.</p><p>Mesmerized, Anna watched as Elsa spun, jumped, and twirled in the air, feats that she knew could only be mastered with years of training. At one point, she even stood up from the bench and began cheering. But even great things had to come to an end. As soon as the melody stopped, Elsa gave a small bow, and Anna took that as a cue to clap as loud as she can.</p><p>
  <em>God, she's amazing.</em>
</p><p>"Elsa, that was awesome!" Anna exclaimed as she rushed over to greet Elsa, who was now getting off the ice. "I had no idea that it'd be so different with music! And that dress, it's <em>so</em> pretty. Like <em>wow</em>, those crystals are sparkly!"</p><p>Elsa chuckled softly. "Thanks. It's been a while since I practiced while wearing something like this."</p><p>"It's much better than your black hoodie, that's for sure," Anna began. "Oh, um, it's not that I don't like your hoodie or anything, you look great in that too, but you know, this dress, it's just so blue and sparkly…"</p><p>
  <em>Oh, that reminds me, I should probably give her the necklace now. Actually, wait, should I give it to her after she's done skating?</em>
</p><p>"Anna?"</p><p>"Huh?" Anna looked up and saw that Elsa was looking at her with a worried expression.</p><p>"What's wrong? It looked like you're thinking about something. Oh, are you worried about your paper? Sorry, I shouldn't have dragged you to the rink with me so late."</p><p>"What? No, that's not it at all! Well, I <em>am</em> worried about my paper but no, that wasn't what I was thinking about!"</p><p>"Then…?"</p><p>
  <em>Yeah, I might as well just give it to her now.</em>
</p><p>"You see, I kind of um, got something for you."</p><p>"You got something for me?" Elsa asked in a curious tone.</p><p>"It's just a little something I got earlier. I saw it and it reminded me of you," Anna said, taking the necklace out of her pocket. "Here."</p><p>Handing her the box, she watched with bated breath as Elsa went on to open it.</p><p>"D-do you like it?" Anna asked as the box revealed the pendant.</p><p>"Anna, It's…beautiful," Elsa said, taking the snowflake into her hand, the corners of her lips curving upward.</p><p>
  <em>She's smiling.</em>
</p><p>"You know what? It kind of matches your dress too, now that I think about it!"</p><p>"You're right, the gemstone is almost the same color," Elsa said as she glanced down at her dress and back at the necklace. "…Can you help me put it on?"</p><p>"Oh, you mean like, you want to put it on <em>now</em>? Like, wear it with the dress? For skating? But won't it um, get in the way?"</p><p>Elsa shook her head. "No, I want to wear it…and besides, you said it matches my dress."</p><p>Anna felt a soft, warm feeling spread across her chest and it took all of her willpower not to grin like an idiot.</p><p>"Can you turn around for me then?"</p><p>"Okay."</p><p>Taking the necklace into her hand, Anna carefully opened the clasp and placed the chain around Elsa's neck with the pendant dangling at the front. She could feel her skin beneath her fingers and honestly, it made her heart flutter a bit. Here she was, putting a necklace on the girl that she liked. If only Elsa felt the same way about her. Actually…did she? Anna thought back to what Kristoff had said earlier.</p><p>
  <em>She's invited me to her house…cooked for me…and asked me to come see her skate in her pretty dress…What if…</em>
</p><p>"Is it on?" Elsa's voice shook her out of her reverie.</p><p>"Oh, yeah, it's on!"</p><p>"Thanks." Elsa smiled at the pendant that was now hanging around her neck.</p><p>"But yeah, I was right, it totally matches your dress!"</p><p>"…I'd like to think of it as my good luck charm."</p><p>Anna was just about to reply when a man called out to Elsa from behind.</p><p>"Oh, it's Marshall, he's here," Elsa said. "He's going to help me with some of the elements in my short program."</p><p>Anna turned around and saw the same man whom they'd run into at the skate shop. This time, however, there was no awkward tension in the air.</p><p>"All warmed up?" Marshall asked.</p><p>"I went over my short program just now. I think it went okay, except that the triple lutz was a little underrotated."</p><p>"Well then, let's have a look at it," Marshall replied. "Why don't you go and practice a few of them? I'll be right there."</p><p>Elsa nodded. "Oh, and Anna, if you want, you can go grab something to eat upstairs—there's a small place where you can get some food," Elsa said as she stood up from the bench. "I can drive you home afterward. Our session shouldn't take that long."</p><p>"Ooh, I had no idea that there was a place to eat upstairs! I'll go check it out."</p><p>The Nanaimo bar that she had was good but it wasn't nearly enough to satisfy her hunger. Even if Elsa didn't say anything, she was going to go look for something to munch on.</p><p>"Alright, I'll see you in a bit then."</p><p>And with that, Elsa went back on the ice, leaving Anna alone with Marshall.</p><p>…<em>Should I just get up and leave? Should I say hi? What's the best thing to do in this situation?</em></p><p>"You were with Elsa at the skate shop the other time," Marshall said, breaking the silence.</p><p>"Oh, yeah, she asked me to go with her," Anna said, caught off guard by the sudden conversation. "I'm Anna, by the way, it's um, very nice to meet you."</p><p>"Ah, I knew it."</p><p>Anna tilted her head curiously. <em>He knew?</em></p><p>"Elsa told me about you when she came and talked to me," Marshall explained.</p><p>"She did?" Anna asked, eyes widening slightly.</p><p>"She told me it was you who convinced her to come talk to me."</p><p>"Oh, I didn't do that much really…all I did was give her a small push, that's all."</p><p>"A push that she needed," Marshall began. "She's a hard worker and she's tough on herself so I can guess what she's been thinking these past few months."</p><p>"Yeah, she's definitely a hard worker," Anna said, her eyes floating toward Elsa who was now practicing her jumps.</p><p>"But I'm glad that she's okay with it now. It makes me happy knowing that I can help her achieve her goals again," Marshall said.</p><p>
  <em>I was right, he still cares for her as a coach.</em>
</p><p>"To be honest, I was surprised when she told me that she'd made a friend. I've coached her for many years and she's always been by herself so it's nice to know that she has someone to rely on now."</p><p>Anna didn't know what to say. She'd always had a hunch that that might be the case but for her to actually hear it from someone else, it just made her feel that much more special.</p><p>"Anyway, sorry for keeping you here," Marshall said as he placed his bag onto the ground. "I just thought I'd have a quick chat with you before I go on the ice. After all, you're special to Elsa, if you know what I mean."</p><p>
  <em>Wait, what?</em>
</p><p>Anna wanted to ask him what he meant but by the time she'd snapped out of her daze, he'd already turned around and left.</p><p>…<em>I'm special to Elsa? What does he mean by that?</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>For those who are wondering, figure skating competitions go from Regionals -&gt; Sectionals -&gt; Nationals -&gt; Internationals</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“<em>I’m </em>special to her? Like, what does <em>that </em>mean?” Anna exclaimed as she paced back and forth across her dorm room.</p><p>Now that she was done with her paper, she could finally talk to someone about the one thing that’s been on her mind for the past 48 hours. In fact, it’s pretty much a miracle that she even managed to finish the assignment in the first place. After all, it’s not exactly easy to concentrate after someone tells you that the person you like <em>might</em> like you back. Well, hint at, anyway. Because that’s what it was, right?</p><p>“I mean, it’s pretty obvious I think,” Rapunzel said. She’d come over after Anna told her that there was something super important that they had to discuss. “Elsa has feelings for you.”</p><p>“What? W-what do you mean obvious?” Anna whipped her head up to look at her friend. “And anyway, don’t you think it’s weird that Marshall would know something like that? I mean, they weren’t even talking to each other up until a few days ago!</p><p>“Well, didn’t you say that he’s coached her for many years? He probably knows her better than any of us,” Rapunzel said with a shrug. “By the way, you <em>really </em>have to stop pacing back and forth like that. You’re going to wear a hole in the ground.”</p><p>“Oh, whoops.”</p><p>“Anyway, like I was saying, there’s absolutely no way that she just thinks of you as just a friend. Nuh-uh. I mean, when was the last time <em>I</em> put on a pretty dress and asked you to look at me?”</p><p>“Wait, what? No, that’s totally different! She just wanted someone to watch her practice, that’s all.”</p><p>“Not just <em>someone</em>, she wanted <em>you </em>to watch her,” Rapunzel said.</p><p>“Yeah, but—”</p><p>“Look, if it’s bothering you so much, why don’t you just go and ask her?” Rapunzel said matter-of-factly.</p><p>Anna’s mouth flew open. “What?! I-I can’t do that!”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>“Because, you know, what if it’s all a big misunderstanding and she doesn’t actually like me at all?” Anna said, curling herself up into a ball. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to recover from something like that.”</p><p>“Aww, you’ve totally fallen for her. How cute,” Rapunzel said, smirking.</p><p>“Punzie! I’m being serious here!”</p><p>“And so am I! I’m telling you, you should just ask her how she feels. Trust me, you’re overthinking this waay too much.”</p><p>Anna didn’t want to admit it but she was beginning to think that maybe Rapunzel was right. Maybe Elsa <em>did</em> like her. Maybe that’s why she seemed so happy when she gave her that necklace. That’s always a possibility, right?</p><p>“Hello, Anna!”</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>“Were you even listening to what I was saying?” Rapunzel said as she crossed her arms.</p><p>“I’m sorry, what did you say?”</p><p>Rapunzel rolled her eyes. “I was saying that you’re just <em>so </em>out of it when it comes to Elsa and you totally just proved my point,” she said. “Then again, I can’t really blame you. I mean, she <em>is</em> pretty. Heck, if I was into girls, I would probably be all over her too.”</p><p>
  <em>Thank goodness you’re not then.</em>
</p><p>“That reminds me…is she the first girl that you’ve, you know, liked?”</p><p>Anna thought about it for a second before replying. “Um, I guess so…?”</p><p>It was true. She’d never liked a girl before. This was the first time and to be honest, it had surprised her a bit. Not in a bad way or anything—it’s just that she’d always thought that she was into guys. Apparently not. Nope, Elsa had blown that possibility out the window.</p><p>“So then, you’ll go ask her then?” Rapunzel asked, a huge grin on her face.</p><p>“Uh…”</p><p>Fortunately for Anna, her phone buzzed at just the right time and it saved her from having to come up with a reply. Looking at the screen, she could see that it was a notification for a new text. It was from Elsa. She’d sent her a message asking how her day went. It was a small gesture, but it made her happy nonetheless. After all, it meant that she was thinking about her. <em>Maybe she really does…</em></p><p>“Who is it from?”</p><p>“Huh? Oh, it’s just Elsa. She’s just asking to see how I’m doing.”</p><p>“<em>Just </em>Elsa, huh? So, you guys always text each other?”</p><p>“Not always! Just umm, sometimes.”</p><p>“Uh-huh.”</p><p>“…But maybe you’re right. Maybe I’ll have a talk with her.”</p><p>Rapunzel beamed at her. “Atta girl!”</p><p>“I just don’t know if <em>now’s</em> a good time. I mean, she did tell me that she’s going to compete in a big competition in a few weeks. What if I end up distracting her from her practice? And she just got to work with her coach again too.”</p><p>“But surely she won’t be practicing every day for the <em>whole </em>day?”</p><p>“I guess you’re right…” Anna began. “Maybe I’ll send her a message later and see if we can meet up on the weekend or something.”</p><p>“Well, let me know how it goes, okay? I want to know <em>all </em>the details afterward! We’re best friends, aren’t we?” Rapunzel said with a huge smile.</p><p>“Fineee."</p><hr/><p>After Rapunzel left, Anna showered and got herself comfortable in bed. Phone in her hands, she replied to Elsa’s earlier message and was just about to Google “how to know if a girl likes you” when the thing buzzed again. <em>Wow, that was quick</em>. <em>Elsa must have been on her phone or something.</em></p><p>Tapping on the notification, she opened the message.</p><p>“<em>Glad to hear that you’re done with the paper :) I had another training session with Marshall tonight and just got home.</em>”</p><p>Anna smiled. Elsa had begun to add smiley faces to her messages recently and she just found it to be so endearing. But then she read the second half of the text and frowned. <em>She just got home? But it’s 9 pm! Is the rink even open that late?</em></p><p>She quickly typed a reply.</p><p>“<em>You</em> <em>stayed at the rink so late? Don’t practice too hard!”</em></p><p>This time, however, Elsa didn’t respond right away and Anna couldn’t help but wonder if she’d fallen asleep or had gone to take a shower. <em>Probably the latter. </em></p><p>Abandoning her Google search from earlier (because what’s the point anyway, she'd already decided that she was going to ask her), she took out her laptop and began to watch Netflix. In the end, it wasn’t until she’d finished two episodes of her show that her phone buzzed again.</p><p>“<em>Don’t worry, I made sure to take breaks.</em>”</p><p>Anna’s fingers hovered above the screen as she thought of what to say. It wasn’t every day that Elsa texted her like this so she wanted to do whatever she could to continue the conversation. And she still had to ask if they could meet up over the weekend. <em>Actually, I'll just ask her about it now</em>.</p><p>“<em>Good! And oh I was wondering…do you think we can maybe meet up this weekend? I know you’re super busy so it’s totally okay if you can’t but I just thought that if you’re free, we can hang out or something.</em>”</p><p>Anna looked over the message. Was it too long? Nah, it should be fine. <em>And send!</em></p><p>The response she got, however, was <em>not</em> what she was expecting. Because now her phone was vibrating. Elsa was calling her! When was the last time they talked on the phone, anyway? Never. They’ve never talked on the phone before. This would be the first time.</p><p>“Elsa?” Anna said, trying not to let her nervousness show. In her daze, she'd let the phone ring a little longer than she'd wanted to. </p><p>“Hey, Anna. Sorry, I just thought that calling might be easier than texting. You’re not busy right now, are you?”</p><p>“Oh, no, not at all!” Anna said as she closed her laptop with one hand and placed it on the bedside table. “I wasn’t doing anything important anyway! Just rewatching <em>The Good Place</em>.”</p><p>“The Good Place?”</p><p>“You’ve never heard of it? It’s one of my favorite shows! It’s about this woman who dies and ends up in this place called ‘The Good Place’, which is kind of like heaven, but not really,” Anna explained, highly enthusiastic now that they’re talking about her favorite TV show. But it didn’t take long for her to realize what she’s doing. “Oh shoot. I’m rambling again, aren’t I? Sorry, you’re probably not interested in it anyway.”</p><p>“No, it sounds interesting, actually. I’d love to see it sometime.”</p><p>“Really? Maybe we can watch it together someday then!” Anna said, unaware that she was now smiling.</p><p>“Sure, that sounds fun,” Elsa said. “And you said something about meeting up this weekend? That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, actually.”</p><p><em>“</em>Oh, right, I did. Umm, it’s only if you have time! I wouldn’t want to get in the way of your training or anything.”</p><p>It was a few seconds before Elsa spoke again. “Unfortunately...I have practice on both days”</p><p>Anna felt her heart sink. She had thought that that might be the case but still, she couldn’t help but feel a little bit disappointed. Even if she did have an ulterior motive for wanting to hang out.</p><p>“But…” Elsa eventually said. “I might be able to make some time tomorrow after practice. It’ll have to be a bit later, though, probably around nine at night, is that okay?”</p><p>Anna felt a rush of happiness resonate through her. “Yes, of course!”</p><p>“Great! Should we meet at your place then? That way, you won’t have to head out so late.”</p><p>“Sure. That sounds good to me!”</p><p>
  <em>Yes! I’ll get to see Elsa tomorrow!</em>
</p><hr/><p>Anna woke up at around noon. She’d stayed up <em>way </em>too late last night watching Netflix. But that didn’t stop her from being excited about today. Elsa was coming over, after all! The smile on her face didn’t last long, however, for she quickly remembered what she had to do. She had to ask Elsa about her feelings. About how she felt about <em>her</em>. At least, that’s the goal. The more she thought about it, though, the more impossible it seemed. How’s someone supposed to ask something like that, anyway?</p><p>Luckily, Elsa wasn’t coming over for another few hours so she still had time to figure that out. For now, she had bigger problems at hand—like figuring out how to clean her room. She’d cleaned it up a while back for their little get-together but it had somehow reverted back to its natural state over the past few weeks. That is to say, it’s become a huge mess. She might be okay with Rapunzel or Kristoff seeing her room like this, but Elsa? No way. Definitely not. She can’t know that she’s a slob!</p><p>Thankfully, it only took her about two hours to clean her room.</p><p>By the time she was done, her stomach had started growling. Thankfully, she still had half a sandwich left from yesterday so she managed with that. That and some chocolate. Hunger satisfied, she spent the next little while thinking about what to say to Elsa.</p><p>
  <em>Should I just ask her point-blank how she feels about me? Wait, no, that’s waaay too awkward. Maybe I should ask her if she has someone that she likes? Yeah, that’s probably better. </em>
</p><hr/><p>Room cleaned, Anna spent the next few hours lying in bed rewatching old Disney movies. For dinner, she’d had some leftover pasta, which tasted surprisingly good despite the fact that it’d already been in the fridge for three days.</p><p>
  <em>Hmmm…Elsa should be done with her practice soon…</em>
</p><p>And she was right because not even two minutes later, she received a text.</p><p>“<em>Just finished skating. I should get there around nine.</em>”</p><p>There was no smiley face this time, but that didn’t matter. She’ll be able to see her in person soon!</p><p>But then she realized something. <em>Wait a second…if she’s coming straight from the rink, then…</em></p><p>Anna immediately sprung up from her bed and hopped over to her mini-fridge. As expected, all she had was a carton of milk, some yogurt, and a pack of cheese strings.</p><p>
  <em>Darn it, I should have realized this earlier. </em>
</p><p>She needed food. Or rather, she needed to get some food for Elsa. Because who wouldn’t be hungry after such a long skating session? And she had a feeling that cheese strings and yogurt wouldn’t exactly qualify as dinner.</p><p>
  <em>Good thing I never used that Uber Eats coupon.</em>
</p><p>Opening the app, she scrolled through the different options, and it didn’t take long for her to realize that most of the restaurants had already closed. Fortunately, a nearby Thai place was still open so she opted for that. She’d never tried it before but it was either that or an Indian place, which apparently only sold super spicy butter chicken so prawn stir fry it was.</p><p>And to her surprise, the food actually came faster than Elsa.</p><p>“Wow, something smells good!” Elsa said as she made her way inside.</p><p>“I figured you probably haven’t had dinner yet, so I got you some food!” Anna exclaimed. “You’re okay with Thai, right?”</p><p>“Yeah, I love Thai food. Thanks.”</p><p>“Looks like I made the right decision then! I haven’t tried this place before but it smells good so that must mean that it tastes good, right?” Anna half-joked as she handed Elsa the takeout box. “Here. Careful, it’s still hot.”</p><p>“Wait, it’s all for me?” Elsa asked, a confused look on her face.</p><p>“Yup! I already ate so you don’t have to worry about me.”</p><p>“How much was it? I’ll pay you back.”</p><p>“No no, it’s okay! I had this coupon for 75% off anyway, so it didn’t cost me much.”</p><p>Elsa paused for a brief moment. “Fine, but you’ll have to let me treat you next time, okay?”</p><p>“Alright. Next time!”</p><p>Suddenly, a wave of déjà vu washed over her. Didn’t they have a similar conversation before? That’s right, it was when she ordered pizza back at Elsa’s place. She chuckled at the realization.</p><hr/><p>“So, what did you want to do?” Elsa asked after finishing her food. Well, half of it anyway. She’d insisted that Anna keep the other half for lunch tomorrow.</p><p>
  <em>I just want to ask you if you like me, that’s all.</em>
</p><p>“Oh, nothing special. I just wanted to, you know, hang out,” Anna lied. “So umm, how was your practice session?”</p><p>“It was pretty good. We went over my long program and worked on some of my jumps.”</p><p>“Sounds like you had a productive session!” Anna said.</p><p>“It’s still a work in progress but I can already feel a difference in my skating. Having a coach really does help,” Elsa said with a laugh. “But enough about my skating, how was <em>your</em> day?”</p><p><em>“</em>Not nearly as productive as yours,” Anna replied. Actually, that was a lie. She was actually pretty productive when it came to cleaning her room. That wasn’t something that she was going to tell Elsa, though.</p><p>“What did you do?”</p><p>“Nothing much. Just watched some old Disney movies,” Anna began. “Oh, that reminds me, did you want to watch <em>The Good Place </em>together? You know, that show that I was talking about last night?” She figured that watching Netflix would be better than asking her ‘the question’. She wasn’t quite ready for that yet.</p><p>“Sure. I don’t have practice until noon tomorrow so I can stay a bit later.”</p><p>“Sounds good! Here, come sit on my bed,” Anna beckoned. “I’ll put the laptop at the front so that we can both see the screen.”</p><p>Nodding, Elsa sat next to her on the bed. With that, Anna clicked open the Netflix tab on her browser and began to play the first episode. Instead of the show, however, Anna found her eyes gravitating toward Elsa. Luckily for her, Elsa didn’t seem to notice.</p><p>If it was any other day, she would have been ecstatic about being able to watch her favorite TV show with the person she liked. But today was different. She’d decided that she was going to ask Elsa how she felt about her. Hopefully, it won’t turn out to be a disaster.</p><p>“She kind of sounds like you,” Elsa said a few minutes into the show. Her eyes were still on the screen but there was a small on her lips.</p><p>“Who? Eleanor?” Anna asked.</p><p>“Yeah. Her voice, don’t you think it sounds like yours?”</p><p>“Really? I’ve never noticed.” Anna replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. </p><p>The next hour passed by quickly with Elsa watching the show and Anna sneaking peeks at her here and there. In other words, she didn’t pay attention to the show at all.</p><p>“That was better than I thought,” Elsa said after the credits started rolling. “I can see why you like it so much.”</p><p>“Right? The first season is the best, in my opinion,” Anna said. “Did you umm, want to watch another episode?”</p><p>“Sure, let’s do that.”</p><p>So they sat together and watched another episode. And like before, time flew by. This time, however, Anna was at least able to focus somewhat on the show.</p><p>“You know what? I think it might have become one of my favorite shows too,” Elsa said as Anna put away the laptop.</p><p>“Really? Well, I’m glad you liked it! If you want, maybe we can watch the rest together sometime?”</p><p>Elsa smiled. “I’d like that.”</p><p>“Okay, let’s do it then!” Anna said with a sparkle in her eyes. “We’ll marathon the entire show together. There’s only, like what? Four seasons? It shouldn’t take <em>that </em>long.”</p><p>Elsa let out a small laugh. “<em>Only </em>four seasons?”</p><p>“Yeah, I mean, the episodes are only twenty minutes long so really, it’s like watching two seasons.”</p><p>“I suppose I’ll have to make time to watch the rest then.”</p><p>“It’s a plan!” Anna said quickly before going to check her phone, which she’d tossed aside on the bed. <em>11 pm already? Where did all the time go?</em></p><p>Apparently, Elsa was thinking the same thing. “Hmm...I should probably head back soon. It’s starting to get late. I wouldn’t want to keep you up.”</p><p>“Oh, it's okay. Don’t worry about it! I usually stay up pretty late anyway,” Anna said with a nervous laugh. <em>Come on Anna, you have to ask her. Remember, that’s why you invited her over in the first place.</em></p><p>“Are you sure?”</p><p>“Yeah. It’s no problem at all,” Anna began. “And, umm, I actually had something that I kind of wanted to ask you,” she said, her finger drawing tiny circles on her bed.</p><p>Elsa tilted her head curiously. “What is it?”</p><p>“I-I was just wondering…” Anna began. She could feel her heart in her throat and honestly, it wasn’t helping at all with the situation. If anything, it only made it that much harder. <em>Come on, you can do it, Anna. It's just a simple question. </em>Taking a deep breath, she mentally prepared herself for what she was about to say next. “D-do you have anyone that you—”</p><p>Knock knock.</p><p>It took her a few seconds to realize what was happening. …What? Did someone just knock on her door? So late? Immediately, the nervousness that she’d felt turned into shock, which then morphed into anger. Here she was, about to ask <em>the </em>question of the day and someone just had to knock and ruin the moment? <em>Really? Seriously? Do they not know how much courage it took for her to go and ask that question?</em></p><p>Looks like it really did end up being a disaster.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>For those who don't know, The Good Place is a comedy series that stars Kristen Bell aka the voice of Anna (which is why Elsa said they sounded the same, haha).</p><p>And as always, comments/reviews are highly appreciated! I love hearing from my readers, it really does make my day :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sighing, Anna took a few reluctant steps toward the door. <em>I swear, there better be a fire or something because—</em></p><p>"Anna, there's a fire!" Kristoff practically yelled it at her face as soon as she opened the door.</p><p>Anna's face froze. <em>Fire? A fire? There's actually a fire? </em>"Oh my god!" she exclaimed, realization dawning. "A-are we going to be okay? Should I go get the fire extinguisher? Wait a minute, I have no idea where it is! Oh, what about the staircase? C-can we still go down? If not, maybe we can jump out the window—"</p><p>"<em>What? </em>No no no, calm down!" Kristoff exclaimed.</p><p>"What? But you just said that there's a fire—"</p><p>"Yes, there's a fire, but I'm here because I need help finding Sven!"</p><p>Anna furrowed her brows. Nothing he said was making sense. So there's a fire? But it's not here? Then why did he knock on her door as if his life depended on it? Wait, did he just say Sven?</p><p>"Anna, I think he means that," Elsa said, pointing out the window.</p><p>Curious, Anna moved in front of the glass to have a look. From the looks of it, one of the apartment buildings across the street had apparently burst into flames, its smoke billowing into the night sky.</p><p>"Yeah, some idiot set their apartment on fire," Kristoff explained. "But don't worry, he's fine. I saw him get out. I was there with Sven when it happened but he must have gotten spooked by the flames because he ran off! That's why I need your help!"</p><p>"Oh…that makes much more sense."</p><p>"And sorry Elsa, I didn't know you'd be here." Kristoff gave her a quick wave.</p><p>"Oh, it's okay," Elsa began. "I was going to leave soon, anyway."</p><p><em>Actually, we were kind of having a moment and you totally destroyed it. </em>But she knew better than to grumble out loud. After all, Sven was missing. And what kind of friend would she be if she got mad at something like that? She had to help; it was the least that she could do.</p><p>"Of course I'll help!" Anna said as she put on her jacket. "But jeez, I just wish you said that from the beginning."</p><p>Kristoff put one hand on his face and shook his head. "Sorry, I just can't think very straight right now."</p><p>"Hey, it's okay." Anna placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find him."</p><p>"I'll come help too," Elsa said as she stood up and joined them at the door.</p><p>"What? A-are you sure?" Anna asked. "I mean, it's late and you have practice tomorrow—"</p><p>"It's okay, let me help," Elsa said. "And um…Sven is a dog, right? I might not seem like it, but I'm actually good with animals."</p><p>
  <em>You are?</em>
</p><p>"Yeah. He's an elkhound. About fifty pounds with a silver coat," Kristoff replied. "And thanks. I could use all the help I can get."</p><p>"No problem," Elsa said, pushing her hair behind her ear. "We're…friends, after all."</p><hr/><p>The air was chilly. If it wasn't for the smell of smoke and ash that hit Anna's nose, she would have never guessed that there was a fire nearby. Well, that and the fact that the sky was lit up by flames. She could hear the crackling fire in the wind and sirens in the distance and if anything, it only sent a wave of adrenaline through her body.</p><p>"So, which direction do you think he went?" Anna asked, her eyes pausing for a second at the crowd that had gathered around the building across the street. <em>Phew, looks like they all got out.</em></p><p>Kristoff pointed west. "He went that way, toward the parking lots. That's where my roomie is looking."</p><p>"Okay, got it. Do you want to split up or?" Elsa asked.</p><p>"Yeah, let's do that," Kristoff said. "I'm going to go look around over there." He gestured toward the left side of the lot. "Can you guys check the other side and maybe the buildings behind it?"</p><p>Anna gave him a nod. "You got it. We'll call you if we find him."</p><p>"Alright. Thanks!" Kristoff said before running off into the distance.</p><p>Just like that, Anna found herself alone with Elsa again. It was strange, walking side by side with her in the dark. Who knew that their meet-up would turn into something like this? But there was no time to reflect on the situation now. They had to find Sven.</p><p>And they did. It took them over two hours of combing the area but they did manage to find him. Well, Elsa did, anyway. She'd spotted him next to a van while Anna was looking at the nearby bushes. By the time she'd emerged from the shrubs, Elsa already had his leash in her hands. Apparently, Sven had run right up into her arms the second she bent down. <em>Guess she wasn't lying when she said she's good with animals.</em></p><p>"Sven!" Kristoff exclaimed as he ran up to the elkhound and embraced him in a hug. He'd run over the second he got the call from Anna. "Oh, buddy! Don't you ever do that ever again," he said, burying his face in his fur.</p><p>"You almost gave him a heart attack!" Anna said, turning to face Sven who seemed just as happy as Kristoff to be reunited.</p><p>"That, he did," Kristoff said with a shaky laugh. "But seriously, thanks for helping me find him, you guys. I don't know what I'd do without him."</p><p>"No problem, I'm just glad that we were able to help," Elsa said, stifling a yawn before reaching out to pat Sven on the head.</p><p>Kristoff smiled at his furry companion before looking up at Elsa. "Why don't you stay over at Anna's tonight?" he said. "It's one in the morning and I'm pretty sure the roads are still blocked by all the fire trucks."</p><p>"W-wait, what?" Anna squeaked. That was the last thing that she'd expected him to say.</p><p>"I mean, who knows how long it'll take for them to clear the area?" Kristoff said, a small smirk on his face.</p><p>"What? No, I-I couldn't possibly—" Elsa began.</p><p>"It's okay, I'm sure Anna wouldn't mind," Kristoff said as he placed his arm around her shoulder, which earned him an elbow nudge in return. "And besides, didn't you say that you have training tomorrow? We wouldn't want you to be sleep-deprived."</p><p>"Well, yes, that's true, but—"</p><p>"It could be another hour before they clear the roads," Kristoff reminded.</p><p>"But…"</p><p>"Elsa, It's okay. I don't mind at all!" Anna said. She hated to admit it but Kristoff<em> did</em> have a point. She'd hate to be the reason why she's sleep-deprived for her training tomorrow. And anyway, judging from the way that she's been yawning, it's probably not a good idea for her to drive home, even if the roads were clear.</p><p>"I-I guess…you're right," Elsa relented after a few seconds.</p><hr/><p>Anna's had many sleepovers before but never one that's made her this nervous. Actually, does this even count as a sleepover? After all, it's not like they're having a party or anything. It's just the way things have worked out; she's just giving Elsa a place to stay for the night, that's all.</p><p>"Anna," Elsa said once they were back in her dorm room. "Thanks again, for letting me stay."</p><p>"Y-yeah! No problem!" Anna said as she took off her jacket and threw it in the closet. "Oh, and umm, you can take the bed. I can just sleep on the ground. The rug is softer than it looks, and I have a spare blanket in the closet."</p><p>Elsa's eyes seemed to widen a bit. "What? No, I can't do that! I'll be fine on the ground. You sleep on the bed."</p><p>"What? No, you sleep on the bed! You're the one who has practice tomorrow, not me."</p><p>"Anna, I'll be fine—"</p><p>Anna shook her head. "If you sleep on the ground, I'll sleep on the ground too."</p><p>Elsa remained silent as her eyes moved to the bed and for a second, Anna thought she'd won the argument. "Why don't we both sleep on the bed then?"</p><p>Anna froze as her heart skipped a beat. <em>What? What did she say? Did she just say that we should sleep on the bed together? </em>She wanted to say something, to protest, but all she ended up doing was opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish.</p><p>"It's a good compromise, I think," Elsa said as she patted the bed next to her. "Come?"</p><p>
  <em>God, how am I supposed to say no when she says it like that?</em>
</p><p>"O-okay<em>.</em>"</p><p>
  <em>It's fine, just act natural. Girls sleep with their girlfriends in the same bed all the time. It's no big deal.</em>
</p><p>Turning off the lights, Anna climbed into bed with Elsa following behind. "Sorry, it's kind of small," she said, thinking back to the queen-sized bed that she'd seen at Elsa's apartment.</p><p>"No no, it's fine."</p><p>"There's a lot of leg space, though," Anna said with a nervous laugh. She shifted herself in the bed and in her haste, accidentally brushed her hand against Elsa's. <em>Oh my god. I don't think I'll be able to fall asleep tonight.</em></p><p>"But wow, what a night," Elsa said, unaware of Anna's inner turmoil. "Do you think the people in the apartment are okay?"</p><p>"Oh, um, I think so," Anna said, forcing herself out of her thoughts. <em>Thank goodness the lights are off so she can't see my face.</em> "I mean, the fire was pretty much put out by the time we got back, at least."</p><p>"That's true."</p><p>"It's too bad that it all happened so late, though."</p><p>"Yeah." Elsa closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them again. "Anna, can I ask you a question?" she asked after a few seconds of silence.</p><p>Anna gave her a sideways glance. "What is it?"</p><p>"Um, what were you going to ask me earlier?"</p><p>"Oh, um…"</p><p><em>Oh, right. There's still that. </em>For a second, she considered brushing it off but that would probably just make Elsa even more curious so she braced herself and continued. "I was going to ask if you had anyone you liked," she said, her voice softer than it was before.</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>
  <em>Oh god, I just made things super awkward, didn't I? What should I say? Think Anna, think.</em>
</p><p>"Because you know, I have someone that I like," she blurted out. <em>Wow. Great job, Anna. Fantastic.</em></p><p>Elsa didn't say anything for a few seconds. "Y-you do…?"</p><p>"Y-yeah," Anna said, pulling the blanket up to her chin.</p><p>"Oh…I see."</p><p>"W-what about you?" Anna asked, desperate to steer the conversation away from herself.</p><p>Elsa cleared her throat quietly. "Anna, I…"</p><p>"Oh! Umm, sorry, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to," Anna said, sensing the hesitation in her voice.</p><p>To be honest, she really really wanted an answer. But the last thing that she wanted was to <em>force </em>it out of her. That wasn't what she was after.</p><p>"Anyway, forget about that, let's go to sleep?" Anna said softly. "Or you'll feel it tomorrow during your practice."</p><p>"Yeah…you're right," Elsa said, closing her eyes again. "Good night, Anna."</p><p>"Good night, Elsa."</p><hr/><p>Anna woke up at noon (again). It'd taken her a long time to fall asleep last night, which wasn't surprising, given the circumstances. And while she's glad that she managed to get some sleep, she couldn't help but frown at the fact that Elsa had already left for the rink by the time she woke up.</p><p>
  <em>Darn it, I should have set an alarm or something.</em>
</p><p>Cursing herself for the mistake, she rolled out of bed and reached for her phone. To her surprise, there was a notification waiting for her on the screen. It was a text message from Elsa.</p><p>"<em>Sorry, I didn't want to wake you. Thanks for letting me stay last night."</em></p><p>A warm, soft feeling instantly washed over her and it gave her all the energy that she needed to go about her day. The first thing on her agenda? To take a nice, long shower—it was something that she desperately needed after walking in all that smoke last night.</p><p>The next thing she did was make herself lunch. Grabbing the leftover stir fry from the mini-fridge, she popped it in the microwave and waited for it to heat up. Two minutes later, and she had a nice hot meal waiting for her. Now the only thing was to figure out what to do for the rest of the day. She kind of wanted to go out, but where?</p><p>Just as she was about to Google some ideas, someone knocked at her door.</p><p>"Anna, it's me!" A voice called out from the other side.</p><p>"Punzie?" Anna made her way toward the door and sure enough, it was her best friend, Rapunzel.</p><p>"Wow, something smells good," Rapunzel said as she slipped off her shoes and went inside.</p><p>"Yeah, I just had lunch."</p><p>"You mean <em>brunch</em>, right?" Rapunzel said with a smirk. "Anyway, I heard about what happened last night. I'm glad you guys found Sven. I would have helped too if I was awake."</p><p>"Kristoff told you?"</p><p>"Yeah, he sent me a message this morning."</p><p>"Oh, no wonder."</p><p>"Sooo, where's Elsa?" Rapunzel asked, changing the topic. "He also told me that she stayed over."</p><p>Anna sighed internally. <em>Of course he told her.</em></p><p>"Well?"</p><p>"She already left for her skating practice."</p><p>"Whaat?" Rapunzel frowned. "That's no fun."</p><p>"Yeah, I'm pretty sure she'll be at the rink the whole day."</p><p>"Whole day?" Rapunzel said, a sly smile forming on her face. "You know what, that gives me an idea."</p><hr/><p>"So…why are we here again?" Anna asked.</p><p>Apparently, Rapunzel's idea was to go to the ice rink. Anna had tried to protest, saying that they'd probably just get in the way, but Rapunzel had reassured her that it'd be fine as long as they stayed in the spectator area. And well, to be honest, she did kind of want to see Elsa…</p><p>"Well, you always talk about how she's such a great skater. I wanted to see it for myself!" Rapunzel said as they entered through the main doors.</p><p>"Okay, yeah, but why am <em>I </em>here?" Kristoff asked. Somehow, Rapunzel had roped him into coming. Anna almost felt sorry for him, but then again, she did enjoy his company.</p><p>Rapunzel gave him a smug look. "What? You mean, you don't want to see Elsa skate?"</p><p>"Hey, I didn't say that," Kristoff said.</p><p>Anna looked around the rink. "She's probably training with her coach right now," she said as they made their way to the spectator area and sat down.</p><p>"But wow, it's pretty empty in here," Rapunzel said before rubbing her hands on her arms. "And cold."</p><p>Kristoff leaned back and made himself comfortable in his seat. "The skating club probably has the ice booked."</p><p>"What does <em>that </em>mean?" Rapunzel asked.</p><p>"It means that only their members are allowed on the ice. In fact, I'm willing to bet that we're the only 'outsiders' in here right now."</p><p>"Ohh."</p><p>Anna's eyes trailed across the rink as they continued to talk. "Oh, there's Elsa!" she exclaimed the moment she saw her. She had her back against the boards and was talking to Marshall about something on the ice.</p><p>Rapunzel leaned forward to get a better look. "Who's that man she's talking to?"</p><p>"That's Marshall, her coach," Anna said. And as if on cue, Elsa made her way toward the center of the ice. "Oh, looks like she's going to skate her program now."</p><p>"Program?"</p><p>"Yeah, you'll see," Anna said.</p><p>The next second, a familiar ballad started to play, which prompted Elsa to move from her starting position. Opening with a step sequence, Elsa skated forward, then backward before gaining speed for her first jump, which she landed, much to Rapunzel's amazement.</p><p>The second half of the program, however, was a bit…different. Because Elsa fell. Twice, actually, which surprised her since well, she'd never seen her fall on her jumps before. She didn't even know that she <em>could </em>fall. Even her last spin seemed wobblier than usual. And maybe it's just her but she almost looks…distracted? Anna wasn't quite sure but something definitely felt <em>off</em>.</p><p>Kristoff and Rapunzel didn't seem to think anything of it, though.</p><p>"Wow, that was great!" Rapunzel exclaimed as soon as the music ended. "Oh my gosh, I loved her spins."</p><p>"She nailed that triple flip!" Kristoff said. "It looks like she missed a couple of her other jumps, though."</p><p>"She usually lands all of them!"</p><p>"Woah there, didn't mean to insult your girlfriend."</p><p>"Oh, sorry." Anna tucked a strand of stray hair behind her ear. "It's true, though, she usually lands all her jumps."</p><p>Kristoff shrugged. "I'm sure she's just having an off day. I mean, it happens."</p><p>
  <em>I guess so…</em>
</p><p>"Anyway," Rapunzel said, tilting her head in the general direction of the ice. "Do you think we should go say hi?"</p><p>"Oh, too late, she's already coming this way," Kristoff announced.</p><p>
  <em>Wait, what? She knows we're here?</em>
</p><p>Glancing down, Anna could see her walking up the stairs with her skates (guards on, of course) and it didn't take long for her to reach where they were sitting.</p><p>"Hi," Elsa said softly. "I didn't know that you guys would be coming."</p><p>Anna gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Rapunzel wanted to come see you skate," she said, glancing over at her friend. "We're not bothering you, are we?"</p><p>"Oh, no, not at all," Elsa said, her gaze shifting to Anna for a fraction of a second before dropping to the ground.</p><p>
  <em>Huh? Did she just avoid eye contact?</em>
</p><p>"Well, I'm glad I came because that was amazing!" Rapunzel exclaimed.</p><p>Kristoff nodded. "That was pretty great, especially that triple flip at the beginning."</p><p>"Oh…thanks," Elsa said, brushing the bangs out of her eyes.</p><p>"So, when will you be done today?" Anna asked.</p><p>"Not for a while," Elsa said, her voice softer than usual. "I still have a few sessions after this."</p><p>"Well, you know, don't practice too hard," Rapunzel said with a laugh.</p><p>"I'll try not to." Elsa gave a small smile before looking down at the ground again. "But anyway, I should probably head back. It was nice seeing you guys here."</p><p>Anna stared blankly into space as they said their goodbyes and Elsa began her descent back down to the ice. Something was gnawing at her, and she knew exactly what it was. It was Elsa. For some reason, she didn't seem like herself today. From the way she skated to the way she avoided eye contact with her just now. What was going on? She didn't do something to upset her…did she?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who's following along with the story :D </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anna didn't know what to think. On one hand, she was excited about their lesson but on the other hand, she had no idea what to do about Elsa. She was definitely acting weird the other day—but why? Everything had seemed fine the night before; they even had a nice chat before going to sleep. Did she say something that offended her? Was that it?</p>
<p>Sighing, she slumped down into her seat, one hand pressed against her temple. All this thinking had given her a headache. At least she didn't have to eat lunch by herself. Rapunzel had graciously offered to spend the afternoon with her after learning that her art class was canceled.</p>
<p>"Maybe you kicked her in your sleep or something," Rapunzel said with a mouthful of pasta.</p>
<p>Anna gave her an incredulous look. "What? No way!"</p>
<p>Rapunzel shrugged. "Hey, it's always a possibility."</p>
<p>Anna rolled her eyes. Was Rapunzel really suggesting that she kicked people in her sleep? Sure, she wasn't the most graceful sleeper but hey, even she had her limits. Besides, she's pretty sure that she would remember if she did something like that.</p>
<p>"Anyway, have you decided what you're going to do about your lesson?" Rapunzel asked. "You're going, right?"</p>
<p>"Yeah." Anna took a sip of her chocolate milk; it was the only thing that she had left, having devoured the rest of her lunch as soon as they sat down. Thinking required calories, after all.</p>
<p>"When is it again?"</p>
<p>"I'm meeting her at the rink at five," Anna replied.</p>
<p>They usually had their lessons on Tuesdays, but Elsa had training this week so they'd decided to move it up to Monday, which was today. To be honest, she was surprised when she'd received the text from Elsa. She wasn't expecting her to reach out so soon after that weird day at the rink—but then she realized it was about their lesson.</p>
<p>"I'm sure it'll be fine," Rapunzel said. "I mean, it's not like you guys actually had a fight or anything."</p>
<p>"Yeah, but you saw how she was the other day," Anna said, leaning forward with her elbows on the table. "She wouldn't even look at me!"</p>
<p>"Hmm, that <em>was </em>a little weird," Rapunzel said, resting her hand against her cheek. "You didn't say anything weird to her the night before, right?"</p>
<p>"What? N-no, I don't think so." Anna stared at the table as she replayed the events in her head. They'd gone back to her dorm room after finding Sven, and after a brief back-and-forth, had decided to sleep on the bed together. And that's when she'd decided to ask her the question and… "Oh god."</p>
<p>Rapunzel immediately narrowed her eyes. "What is it?"</p>
<p>Anna bit her lip as her fingers unconsciously began to fiddle with one of her braids. "Umm…" she said, her voice softer than it was before. "I might have accidentally told her that I like someone."</p>
<p>"You<em> what? </em>You confessed to her?!"</p>
<p>"No!" Anna exclaimed loudly, which earned her a couple of weird looks from the adjacent table. She could feel a blush creeping across her cheeks. "I just told her that I like someone...that's all," she said, her voice a few decibels softer.</p>
<p>"<em>That's all</em>?" Rapunzel's hand flew to her face. "Oh Anna, what are we ever going to do with you?"</p>
<p>"It was an accident! I asked her if she had anyone that she liked and well, things got awkward and I didn't know what to say, so I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind, and—"</p>
<p>"Weeelll, that explains it," Rapunzel said, cutting off her rambling.</p>
<p>Anna blinked. "Explains what?"</p>
<p>"Elsa's behavior."</p>
<p>"Wait, what do you mean?"</p>
<p>"Anna, don't you get it?" Rapunzel said in a softer tone. "She thinks you like someone else."</p>
<p>"Wait, what?!"</p>
<p>"Think about it. You told her that you like someone but you never specified who," Rapunzel began. "She's obviously upset because she likes you and thinks that you like someone else."</p>
<p>
  <em>She likes me…but thinks that I like someone else? Wait, she likes me?!</em>
</p>
<p>"She likes me?!" Anna repeated, this time verbally.</p>
<p>"Uh-huh," Rapunzel said, rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Isn't that what I've been saying?"</p>
<p>"And she thinks that I like someone else?!"</p>
<p>"Mhmm."</p>
<p>"...Oh god."</p>
<p>And just like that, everything made sense. Why Elsa avoided eye-contact with her. Why things seemed…awkward the other day. She thought she liked someone else! God, how did she not realize it before? It was so<em>, so</em> obvious! Was it the smoke? Had it affected her brain somehow? That had to be it.</p>
<p>Pouting her lips, she looked up at Rapunzel. "So, what do I do?"</p>
<p>"For now, just go to your lesson," Rapunzel began. "And don't be weird about it, just do what you usually do."</p>
<p>Anna gave her a half-smile as her shoulders went up in a shrug. "You mean like, be awkward?"</p>
<p>Rapunzel smirked. "You know what I mean."</p>
<hr/>
<p>The rink was a lot emptier than she'd expected. There were probably five people tops on the ice, two of whom were standing around taking selfies. Maybe because it's a Monday? Not that she minded, though. If anything, it meant that they'd have more space to themselves—even if they did spend most of their time at the end of the rink.</p>
<p>How will Elsa react when she sees her again? What should <em>she</em> say to her? Will they be able to talk like before? There were so many questions running through her mind.</p>
<p>Letting out a sigh, Anna sat down and checked her phone. It was 4:50pm. She'd managed to get here ten minutes early, which gave her plenty of time to put on her skates. There was just one problem—she didn't see Elsa anywhere. Normally, she'd be here before her but today, there's no sign of her. She'd even checked the washrooms! And there weren't any new messages on her phone.</p>
<p>
  <em>Maybe she's just running late…</em>
</p>
<p>Before she knew it, her stomach had begun fluttering, and it only seemed to get stronger with every second. Another ten minutes and she'd started to wonder if something had happened. Did Elsa forget about their lesson? Did she get into an accident? Did she just not want to see her anymore? Her mind ran through the possibilities and it made her head spin.</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh wait, I can just call her.</em>
</p>
<p>Reaching her hand into her pocket, she took out her phone. Finger hovering on top of the screen, she was just about to tap on Elsa's name when a voice called her from behind.</p>
<p>"Anna!"</p>
<p>She didn't have to turn around to know who it was. She'd recognize that voice anywhere; it was Elsa. A wave of relief washed over her but that only lasted about a second for her stomach soon started fluttering again—this time for a different reason.</p>
<p>"H-hey!" Anna greeted.</p>
<p>"I'm so sorry I'm late!" Elsa exclaimed as she rushed over to the bench, her breath hitching slightly. "I went back to the apartment to take a quick nap but missed the alarm." Her eyes met Anna's for a brief moment before dropping toward the ground. "I would have called you to let you know but I forgot to bring my phone."</p>
<p>Anna blinked as her brain processed the information. She went home to take a nap? But she missed the alarm? That sounded suspiciously like something that <em>she </em>would do. Heck, she didn't even know that Elsa took naps!</p>
<p>"Oh umm, it's okay! Don't worry about it!" Anna said as she scratched the side of her neck. <em>Just act natural. Talk to her like you normally would. Don't be weird.</em></p>
<p>"I'm sorry, it's so unprofessional of me," Elsa said as she began to tie her skates at record-breaking speed. "We'll make up for it by extending the lesson."</p>
<p>"D-don't be! I'm just glad you're okay," Anna said, waving her hands in the air. "You had me worried for a second, though. I thought that maybe you had forgotten about our lesson!" She gave a small laugh.</p>
<p>Elsa ran a hand through her bangs. "Of course not, I would never forget," she said as she stood up from the bench, eyes focused on the ice in front of her. She sounded so much like her usual self, it made Anna wonder whether or not what happened the other day was all in her imagination.</p>
<p>"Well, I'm just glad you're here!"</p>
<p>"Yeah," Elsa said, a soft smile on her lips. "Anyway, shall we go?"</p>
<hr/>
<p>The lesson wasn't nearly as awkward as she'd thought it would be. Like always, they started off with what they'd worked on last time—one-foot glides, snowplow stops, and edges. She had a bit of trouble with the edges, especially the outside ones, but at least she was able to do the other things somewhat decently. Elsa seemed happy with her progress too, judging from the way she was smiling at her. At least, it <em>looked </em>like she was smiling at her. That wasn't a hallucination, right?</p>
<p>But then came the crossovers, or as Anna likes to call them—crossovers of death. She had thought that edges were bad but nope, these were much worse. You had to somehow cross one skate over the other while maintaining your balance, and well, she didn't have much of that, to begin with. And of course, Elsa made it seem so easy. It really wasn't fair.</p>
<p>"Here, let's try it at the boards," Elsa said as she glided toward the wall in one swift motion. "Hold on with your hands and just practice lifting and crossing your skate over the other. Remember, your want to bend your knees. Your weight should be on the foot that's on the ice."</p>
<p>It was harder than it looked. With encouragement from Elsa, however, she was eventually able to do it after a few tries. There were a couple of times where she lifted her foot too high and almost fell, but that wasn't important.</p>
<p>"See? they're not so bad," Elsa said in her usual skating coach tone.</p>
<p>"Yeah," Anna said as she bit down on a smile.</p>
<p>She'd missed this. Being on the ice with Elsa—and it hadn't even been that long since their last lesson. There was just something about the way Elsa carried herself on the ice. She was more assertive? Confident? Anyway, it was different….a good different.</p>
<p>The next twenty minutes passed by quickly. Aside from crossovers, they also went over backward stroking and two-foot spins. She wasn't very successful at either but darn, did she try. She even had a bruise on her bum to show for it.</p>
<p>"We'll try crossovers away from the wall next time," Elsa said as they stepped off the ice. Their lesson had officially come to an end.</p>
<p>Anna gave a nervous laugh. "Okay, but I don't think it'll end very well."</p>
<p>By now, the flutters in her stomach had calmed down somewhat. Sitting down, she took off her helmet and began to untie her skates, wiggling her toes as she did so. It always felt so liberating after a long session on the ice. Shoes back on her feet, she turned to face Elsa, who was wiping her wet blades with a small towel.</p>
<p>Now that she thought about it, they'd never actually taken their skates off at the same time before. Elsa would always stay and practice while she packed up and waited. "You're not going to skate more?" Anna eventually asked, curious.</p>
<p>"Normally I would, but there are only five minutes left in the session." Elsa gestured toward the timer on the wall. "So I thought I would just pack up early today."</p>
<p>Anna whipped her head around to look at the digital display and sure enough, there were only a few minutes left. "Oh wow, you're right."</p>
<p>"Guess you were too focused on our lesson," Elsa said, letting out a small chuckle as she carefully placed her skates back in her skating bag.</p>
<p>A proud grin spread across Anna's face. "You know me, I'm a diligent student."</p>
<p>It felt so nice to be able to talk to her like this again. Now if only she could deal with those feelings of hers—those feelings that were threatening to bubble to the surface.</p>
<p>"But wow, we only have one lesson left until your competition, huh?" Anna said, changing the topic. Technically, there were still two and a half weeks until the competition but they'd both agreed to take a break so that Elsa could focus on her training.</p>
<p>"Looks like we'll have to make the best of it then," Elsa said, the tiniest hint of a smirk forming on her lips. "By perfecting those crossovers."</p>
<p>Anna let out a small groan, which earned her a small laugh in response.</p>
<p>"Anyway," Elsa said as she stood up and placed her skating bag over her shoulder. "I was wondering, do you have some time right now?"</p>
<p>Anna tilted her head curiously. "What is it?"</p>
<p>"There's something I want to show you."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Woah, it's huge!" Anna exclaimed as she cocked her head up to look at the gigantic vehicle that was parked in front of her.</p>
<p>Elsa gave her an amused look. "But you've seen it so many times before."</p>
<p>"Yeah, but it's always been so far away!" Anna said, bouncing to the side of the vehicle to take a better look.</p>
<p>The Zamboni. She was standing in front of the Zamboni. It had confused her at first why they were headed off in the opposite direction of the rink entrance but that feeling quickly went away as she caught sight of the blue and white vehicle.</p>
<p>"So..." Elsa said, her voice softer than it was before. "Did you maybe want to go for a ride?"</p>
<p>Anna's eyes widened, jaw unhinging slightly. "Wait, you mean…I can actually ride it with you?"</p>
<p>"I remember you were interested in it last time," Elsa said as she pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Unfortunately, I can't let you drive it, but you can ride on it with me if you'd like."</p>
<p>"Are you kidding me?" Anna exclaimed, her voice bubbling with excitement. "Of course, I want to! But are you sure it's okay?"</p>
<p>"They don't usually let people on it due to liability reasons but I talked to the rink manager and she made an exception. That and…" Elsa trailed off.</p>
<p>"And…?"</p>
<p>"I…wanted to make it up to you for the other day," Elsa said, a slight blush on her cheeks. "I might have made things awkward and…that wasn't my intention. I'm sorry."</p>
<p>Anna jerked her head back; she wasn't expecting that. For Elsa to suddenly bring it up. In fact, she'd pretty much forgotten all about it over the past thirty minutes. The lesson had gone well and Elsa hadn't given any indication that she'd been thinking about it, so it surprised her, to say the least.</p>
<p>"Oh! No, It was totally my fault for blurting out things that can easily be misinterpreted!" Anna said, heat rising to her cheeks.</p>
<p>Elsa's apologetic look turned into a curious one. "What do you mean?"</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh god, I'm just digging a bigger grave for myself, aren't I?</em>
</p>
<p>"Ummm….it's not important." Anna's eyes flicked to the side of the Zamboni as she desperately tried to change the subject. There's no way she's talking about <em>that </em>right now. "Anyway, let's go for that drive?" she said with a nervous laugh.</p>
<p>Elsa tilted her head curiously but didn't press it. "Well, okay, if you say so."</p>
<p>Now that she thought about it, it was weird. This whole situation was weird. She liked Elsa and she (probably) liked her back, yet, here they were, acting like they're just friends. What would it take for them to be something <em>more</em>? Would she have to confess first? <em>Can</em> she even do that? Knowing her, she'd probably mess things up somehow. She sighed internally.</p>
<p>"Anna?" Elsa said after having plopped herself into the driver's seat. "You're not getting on?"</p>
<p>That was enough to bring her back to reality. "Coming!" Putting her foot at the bottom for support, she clambered onto the vehicle and made her way onto the passenger side. Unlike the driver's seat, it faced the back instead of the front; it almost felt like she was sitting in a pickup truck. Crossing her legs so that they weren't touching the engine tanks (Elsa had warned her that they'd be hot), her eyes began to wander, and it didn't take long for her to notice a row of levers beside her. "What are all these for?" she asked, curious.</p>
<p>"They control the mechanisms that wash and shave the ice," Elsa explained as she slid the key into the ignition and turned it, letting the engine roar to life.</p>
<p>"Ohh." Anna wondered if she'd let her push one of them later.</p>
<p>"Anyway, are you ready?" Elsa asked.</p>
<p>Anna nodded excitedly. "I was born ready."</p>
<p>Elsa gave a small laugh as she maneuvered the Zamboni out of the garage and onto the ice. It was an interesting feeling, being so high up; the rink looked so much smaller than it did before. She could feel the chilled air against her face and while they weren't going very fast, it was still pretty fun.</p>
<p>By their fifth pass, however, the excitement had worn off. Not sure what to do, Anna turned her attention toward Elsa, who was diligently working at the controls. And that's when she noticed just how <em>cool</em> she looked. She'd always thought that she looked cool driving her blue Volkswagen but her on a Zamboni? That's a whole different level of cool! How can someone look so flawless, so beautiful while driving an ice resurfacer?</p>
<p>"Anna?" Elsa said, turning her head to look at her before redirecting her attention back to the ice. "Are you okay? You almost look like you're zoning out."</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh, don't mind me. I'm just admiring how beautiful you are, that's all.</em>
</p>
<p>The next few seconds were quiet. It wasn't until she noticed Elsa looking at her with a wide-eyed expression that she realized what she had done.</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh god, I just said that out loud, didn't I?</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, so I've been toying with the idea of doing an Elsa POV chapter so that might happen sometime in the future. I'm not sure yet. Speaking of which, here's some <a href="https://i.imgur.com/SCTIgCW.jpg">commissioned art</a> of her admiring a certain present! Isn't it pretty? :')</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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